When You Wish Upon A Star
by vulpixfairy
Summary: Based on USUK doujinshi 'Negai Hoshi'. On the night of the Tanabata Festival, Kiku discovers Alfred's wish for Arthur to love him back and conspires to bring them together. Little does Alfred know that this will cause him to recollect why he lacks faith in shooting stars. Will his dearest wish come true? DOUJIN PLOT SPOILERS, M rating for heavy YAOI and USUK pairing. COMPLETED!
1. The Tanabata Festival

**Author's notes: **Hello, my dears! I've been doing some random browsing and found some USUK doujinshis online. After reading some of them, I thought it would be fun to write a story based on one so consider it as a sort of a tribute to a great doujinshi. I have written some fics based on manga scenes before but this will be a first to be a doujinshi-based story so please give it a chance :) so to end this babble, thank so you much for the faves, reviews and alerts for my USUK Valentine-based fics, they make me feel happy they are well-read!

**Warnings!: **There will be **DOUJIN PLOT SPOILERS** in this story and did I mention there will be **YAOI** in this? That is the reason for the M rating :) but you will have to wait for the later chapters for the yummy bits to arrive. There will be angst but mostly hurt/comfort, fluff, romance and this is an obvious USUK pairing :) possible OOC for both main characters as I'm interpreting their characters from the doujinshi while putting a bit of my head canon in this.

**Story notes: **This plot is based on USUK doujinshi _Negai Hoshi_, hence the warning for the plot spoilers. If you read anything that you don't recognize from the doujinshi, that would be my work as I'm trying to create some background context from the source to make sense of the plot. Each chapter will begin with a song verse of inspiration to give the idea of what mood it'll create. Later on, flashbacks will be in italicized. This whole thing will be _at least_ 6 chapters long so expect an update about each week depending how I'm doing at work and whatnot :)

**Disclaimer:** I'm afraid I hadn't any luck in finding out who drew and published this doujinshi as I found it online and found no names to locate the source but the credit of the overall plot, the art and portrayal of the characters goes to them (and I would greatly appreciate if someone knows who they are so that I can add it in the disclaimer). And thank you to **monobuu jeom** (I hope I spelled correctly and stupid formatting refused to add in certain symbols) for the translation otherwise I wouldn't know how the story went :) And the sweet song of _Down in New Orleans (Prologue)_ belongs to Randy Newman, the composer of the music to 'The Princess and the Frog' and to Anika Noni Rose for providing the wonderful vocals for it.

* * *

**When You Wish Upon A Star**

**Chapter 1: The Tanabata Festival**

* * *

**Verse of inspiration:**

The evening star is shining bright...

So make a wish and hold on tight...

There's magic in the air tonight...

And anything can happen...

~ _Down in New Orleans (Prologue) _featured in_ "The Princess and the Frog"_ by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

* * *

The Tanabata festival...it was a night when people would hang their most desired wishes on paper talismans among the bamboo trees and hope that their wishes would reach up to the summer sky for the magic of shooting stars to grant them.

This was what Kiku explained to Alfred when the latter was over at the older nation's house for a three-night sleepover to continue their discussions over a new game they started creating a few months ago. Alfred's final night happened to fall on the festival. They had an amiable time together earlier in the day after a satisfying meeting over the game concept, schematics, various scheduling adjustments and various other details that would come in the later development stages. They played various multiplayer video games, made the usual trip to Akihabara to browse for new anime and manga, observed the locals setting up the celebratory night fairs at various temples and shrines and had several fast food stops and snack shopping trips in between. That night, after Kiku cooked and shared a delicious healthy dinner of salmon sushi, nikujaga and sesame onigiri with miso soup, he took Alfred outside with several colorful paper talismans and two marker pens.

The sound of chirping crickets welcomed them the moment they exited the shoji doors and both nations could see the faint glows of fireflies hovering among the various flora in the garden. As Alfred looked up to the sky, he saw the black expanse of darkness littered with stars, shining like diamonds...the superpower nation felt a twinge of nostalgia mixed with disdain upon seeing the night sky; the stars somehow stirred up past memories he loved and loathed...they reminded with one certain nation who loved and cared for him as his own and yet had caused him to lose faith in the magic of stars because of the false hopes broken before him coupled by Arthur's long absences...

"Alfred-san? Let's head the bamboo forest now," Kiku turned to look at the said nation when the younger didn't respond, "Alfred-san?"

The Asian elder nation frowned slightly at the unusually serene and sad look on his friend's face as he gazed up in the sky. He had never seen the boisterous nation look so melancholy before. Was something bothering him? He tentatively patted the American nation's shoulder and felt it jolt, signaling that the younger had broken from his trance.

"Alfred-san? Are you alright?"

"Oh sorry, Kiku, my head's a bit messed up for a while. I'm still thinking of some improvements for the new game of ours...it's gonna be so awesome once we get into it..." Alfred gave a loud chuckle, hoping that his happy charade had erased the sadness in his eyes and convinced Kiku he was fine.

On the contrary, Kiku wasn't fooled and could still see that sadness in those blue eyes through that cheerful facade. He wanted to say more but figured it wasn't the right time and he hadn't the right words to do so. Being one instilled with such strong protocol and etiquette, he decided to let it pass.

"Think nothing of it, Alfred-san," Kiku said politely, accepting the excuse and guided his guest from outside his house to the bamboo forest, "Come along. The stars are waiting for us."

* * *

Alfred followed the quiet nation through the open paths among the tall bamboo trees. The scent was faint yet soothingly sweet and shades of green greeted them from every perceivable angle. The starry sky glowed above them, acting as a giant partial torchlight to guide their path. The crunch of their footsteps meeting crisp grass and the grainy ground echoed in the quiet space. As they traveled further, Alfred noticed that some of the branches had various pieces of colourful paper dangling among the leaves. He could make out some scrawled hiragana and katakana characters written on them.

"Ah...I see that some of the children have been here and made their wishes already," the Japanese nation nodded with a small smile that made his normally soulless dark eyes soften with mirth, "I hope their wishes will come true."

Behind him, Alfred frowned, clearly not sharing the sentiment with Kiku. The frown was quickly replaced with a small grin when the Japanese nation turned back to check on him to make sure he was following him. They finally stopped at a clearing and sat down on the grass.

"Here we are...take these, Alfred-san," Kiku handed some of the paper slips and a marker pen to Alfred, "Just write down your wish on the paper and then we'll hang them together and hope they will reach to the stars above."

Then Kiku turned his back on him so that he could write his wish in private. Alfred did the same as he pulled the pen's stopper. He twirled the pen expertly between his fingers as he thought on what to write on the paper...which happened to be coloured in a deep shade of grassy green. The colour looked so pretty...just like his eyes. So beautiful...

'What?! Beautiful?! Gotta stop thinking about him!' Alfred shook his head to clear his thoughts before a sad smile graced his lips, 'But I guess...it couldn't hurt...since it'll never come true anyway...'

Taking the pen, he scribbled on the green paper, holding it gently like he would to a piece of glass. When he finished, he surveyed his handiwork. On it, the words were written '_I wish my love for Arthur was returned..._'.

'Arthur...' Alfred's sad smile was soft as he visioned his former guardian back in his childhood. Those golden sunny days when he was still small and innocent. The way Arthur looked so strong, warm and gentle...and those smiles...why didn't he do those anymore now? 'Why can't you see me the way I do...not just as a child...but an equal...'

* * *

"Alfred-san?" Alfred jumped at the sound of Kiku's voice and gasped in surprise to find the Japanese nation behind him, "Are you done yet?"

"Ah ha ha! Sorry, was lost in thought to make an awesome wish, just give me a sec and I'll be right with you, Kiku," Alfred hurriedly shoved the green paper into his jeans pocket as he laughed nervously.

Kiku blinked at what he witnessed. He hadn't expected Alfred to be so jumpy and he could have sworn that sorrowful look was once again present in his friend's eyes. He began to grew a bit concerned. What could possibly be bothering him? Or was it someone? This was something he would need to dig into later...

"Forgive me for startling you, Alfred-san," Kiku apologized as he stood up to brush the stray blades of grass dirtying his kimono. He pointed to a portion of the bamboo trees, "Is it alright if I wait for you here?"

"Sure, Kiku. I'm almost done anyway," Alfred snatched another paper slip, this time a pale blue, and scribbled something random.

He nodded with satisfaction at what he wrote: '_I wish to make friends with an alien_'. The young nation had to chuckle at the silliness of it. He was already friends with Tony but he guessed another alien friend would be good for more company. He joined Kiku's side after dusting himself...and making sure his other wish was secure in his jeans pocket.

"So...I just hang it up here?" Alfred asked as he fumbled with the string attached to the blue paper while trying to search for a branch to hang it from.

"Yes, Alfred-san...you picked a perfect spot," Kiku glanced at the blue paper and smiled, "That wish is quite like you, Alfred-san."

Alfred smiled back at his friend, "Well, I think it's a very realistic thing to wish for. And besides, it would be good for Tony to have more friends."

"And it's very like you to think that, Alfred-san..."

It was then Kiku chanced to see the green paper sticking out of the superpower nation's jeans pocket. His usually blank eyes widened then softened at the words written on it.

'I wish my love for Arthur is returned...' Kiku read before a small knowing smile took shape on his lips, 'Ah...Alfred-san...it looks like my hunch was right about you...and Arthur-san...'

* * *

Kiku was a good friend to the island nation like he was with Alfred. However, they bonded over tea breaks and relaxed walks among the cherry blossom trees, and engaged in amiable discussions on an intellectual level. The British nation had genuine appreciation and interest in the finer aspects in Kiku's culture such as architecture, historical lore and customs. Kiku himself had slowly grown accustomed to the adverse weather in England whenever he visited Arthur's home. He wished he could the same about the food but he kept quiet and accepted the meals with polite decorum. However, there were several aspects about England that caught the Japanese nation's interest such as the art scene, the local plays and the magnificent castles and quaint towns in the green countryside. Kiku always made sure to repay Arthur's hospitality with a small gift, which usually consist of little treasures and trinkets for his rose garden located in the back of his house.

Then Kiku recalled a past conversation when they happened to talking about Alfred after discussing the differences between each other's tea blends. Even though Arthur ranted the usual spats and insults about his former colony, he seemed to space out more often than usual and the soft sadness he saw in those green eyes mirrored the same look he saw in Alfred's bespectacled blue eyes tonight on the Tanabata Festival. He knew that look. He had read a lot of romance manga to know what it was...it was the heartbreaking lovesick look the protagonist wore when they couldn't attain the love of their dreams and desire, forced to watch from afar and wish for the unattainable. He mentally shook his head at the amazing yet amusing audacity of the situation...yet it seemed the right time for him to quietly meddle into the affairs without them knowing...

* * *

'I think this is my chance to put my theory to the test...and it is the most opportune time as any to kickstart it...' Kiku noticed that Alfred had just finished tying his paper slip onto the bamboo tree and decided to speak, "Oh yes, I'd like to ask you a favor regarding Arthur-san."

At this, Alfred felt his hands sweat and his grin twitching, "Yeah? And why would you need my help in something like this?"

Kiku chuckled and said to himself, "Oh, it's just a theory I have..."

"Eh? What theory, Kiku?"

"Oh, it's nothing to be concerned over, Alfred-san," Kiku caught himself, making a mental reminder to not speak his thoughts aloud so often. He didn't think that Alfred had such sharp hearing. He cleared his throat before continuing, "Anyway, as I was saying, I want to pass a present to Arthur-san to thank him for his generous hospitality when I visited his country a month ago. Since my next scheduled visit to your country to make further discussions about this new game is in just a few days, I thought that perhaps you can ask Arthur-san to come and stay with you so that I can pass it over to him when I arrive."

"Why can't you just mail it to him or something?" Alfred asked curiously, "Or...I can pass it to him if you want?"

"On no, Alfred-san, my present for him is far too delicate to be mailed and I wish to give it to him in person otherwise it would be rude of me when he has done so much for me," Kiku interrupted smoothly, which made Alfred stare at him in surprise at his sudden forward attitude, "I hope you don't mind, Alfred-san...and besides it would be nice if we could do something together as friends."

"Ah...I...eh..."

Alfred's mind was in hysterics and it showed as he felt his eyebrow twitch with his grin. His mind screamed that this was a bad idea. Sure, he and Arthur were now on somewhat tolerable and friendly terms despite their usual bouts of senseless banter and repeated arguments. But he felt that if he were to confess then everything that had they had rebuilt between them would be broken.

'And I'll be all alone again...just like the other times...'

Yet his heart retaliated that it was an excellent idea to finally spend some quality time together with his former caretaker and Kiku's suggestion wasn't all that bad...it was a rare occasion for the three of them to be actually together in the same group...maybe they could get into some video game marathons or go to Disney World together where he could show off the newest rides and attractions that had just been renovated...yeah...it could work...

Alfred made up his mind. His face bore an easygoing grin although his heart thundered in his chest.

"Alright, Kiku," Alfred acquiesced, "I'll check whether Arthur could come up and let you know what's happening before the week is through."

"Ah thank you, Alfred-san. Your help is most appreciated. I'm really looking forward to see you and Arthur-san again," Kiku bowed in respect. In his head, he did a little dance to mark his success, "It's getting late, Alfred-san. Let's return to my house. We can share the snacks together and perhaps try to finish off the game stage where we left off."

"Sounds great, Kiku! I'm always hungry for more food and games!" Alfred laughed as he made a head start out of the bamboo forest.

Alfred failed to notice that in his excitement, the green paper slipped from his pocket. Kiku watched it flutter onto the ground before picking it up carefully. He reread the words before looking up to the night sky. He smiled...the stars were shining extra bright tonight, making the night sky look heavenly and rival the Milky Way.

'Well, Alfred-san...let's hope the stars will help make your real wish come true...'

After a while of walking among the bamboo trees, the green talisman was nowhere to be seen when Kiku exited the forest to join Alfred back in his home. Up above, the stars slowly lost their sparkle as the night wore on until one lone star shone the brightest...

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**Author's notes: **I hope this first chapter will be enough to get you guys interested in this newest addition. Please let me know what you think but no flames pls? Working on editing the next chapter now, until then, my dears!_**  
**_


	2. Faerie Magic and Shooting Stars

**Author's notes: **Hello again! I'm glad to see that it got some attention and it's a great start. I'm getting on the roll here so hopefully the plot in my head regarding this beautiful doujinshi will seam together and still bring the original plot justice...let's read on, shall we?

**Warnings!: **There will be **DOUJIN PLOT SPOILERS** in this story and did I mention there will be **YAOI** in this? That is the reason for the M rating :) but you will have to wait for the later chapters for the yummy bits to arrive. There will be angst but mostly hurt/comfort, fluff, romance and this is an obvious USUK pairing :) possible OOC for both main characters as I'm interpreting their characters from the doujinshi while putting a bit of my head canon in this.

**Story notes: **This plot is based on USUK doujinshi _Negai Hoshi_, hence the warning for the plot spoilers. If you read anything that you don't recognize from the doujinshi, that would be my work as I'm trying to create some background context from the source to make sense of the plot. Each chapter will begin with a song verse of inspiration to give the idea of what mood it'll create. From this chapter on, flashbacks and dream sequences will be italicized. This whole thing will be _at least_ 6 chapters long so expect an update about each week depending how I'm doing at work and whatnot :) Just so you know, the flashback sequence in this chapter is found later in the doujinshi but I thought in the case of writing, it was better suited here :)

**Disclaimer:** I'm afraid I hadn't any luck in finding out who drew and published this doujinshi as I found it online and found no names to locate the source but the credit of the overall plot, the art and portrayal of the characters goes to them (and I would greatly appreciate if someone knows who they are so that I can add it in the disclaimer). And thank you to **monobuu jeom** (I hope I spelled correctly and stupid formatting refused to add in certain symbols) for the translation otherwise I wouldn't know how the story went :) Please give a standing ovation for Jane Taylor's poem 'The Stars' for making _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star_ such a well known lullabye and nursery rhyme and the due credit of the timeless song of _When You Wish Upon A Star_, made immortalized in the movie Pinocchio, goes to the brilliant Leigh Harlene and Ned Washington for composing it and to Cliff Edwards for the warm rendition that we know so well...

* * *

**When You Wish Upon A Star**

**Chapter 2: Faerie Magic and Shooting Stars**

* * *

**Verse of Inspiration:**

When a star is born

They possess a gift or two...

One of them is this...

They have the power

To make a wish come true...

~ _When You Wish Upon A Star_ featured in "_Pinocchio"_ by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

* * *

"Thanks for letting me stay over, Kiku. As always, I had a blast and your food is awesome for helping me keep in shape," Alfred said in thanks as he checked that his carry-on luggage was still with him. Kiku had courteously accompanied Alfred to the airport and helped him check in his luggage in order to catch a late afternoon flight before he had to leave to speak with his boss.

"I'm glad to hear your kind words, Alfred-san," Kiku bowed respectfully before he was pulled into a huge hug from the American nation, which made the elder of the two sputter slightly before composing himself when they pulled apart. He had somehow grow used to hugs but still remained jittery in the aftermath, 'Western culture certainly is baffling to the mind...'

"Well, I think I should head in since my flight's leaving in less than an hour."

"Please have a safe journey home."

"I will, Kiku. I'll text you when I'm home...and...uh..." Alfred scratched the back of his head, trying very hard to ignore to heat on his cheeks as they recalled what they discussed yesterday about Arthur, "I'll let you know how the situation goes with...uh...Arthur..."

"I look forward to it, Alfred-san. Please do not hesitate to message me if there are any changes."

After a final farewell, Alfred parted ways with Kiku and made his way to the appointed departure terminal. He fiddled with his iPhone while he waited for the announcement to board the plane. When the announcement came through the PA speakers, he joined the growing queue of passengers and boarded the aircraft. After finding his allocated window seat in the business class section, he settled himself down and tried to relax his mind. The flight was going to be long and he needed at least a few hours of sleep during the flight to make sure he wouldn't be too affected by jet lag when he returned home.

* * *

After the plane took off and about halfway through the flight, Alfred had grown bored out of his mind. His iPhone ran out of battery from listening to his music. He had worn out his PSP Vita from playing his games. He had already read the manga volimes he had brought in his hand luggage three times. And he was not in the mood for watching movies provided by the in-flight entertainment centre since he had already watched them before countless times. He grunted in discomfort and felt the need to stretch himself. As he did within the circle of his plush seat, he happened to look outside the airplane window to find the sky had turned dark. He stiffened when he saw the stars sparkling outside...they were shining brightly as before above the white expanse of the glowing clouds...the twinkling stars reminded him of the soft shine in Arthur's eyes...so beautiful...

'Agh! Arthur again?!' Alfred pressed the palms of his hands against his forehead, 'Oh man...why is he always in my mind?!'

"Um excuse me, sir?" Alfred turned to find an air stewardess looking at him with concern, "Are you alright, sir? Would you like some water or some other refreshments to make you feel better?"

"Oh no, miss, thank you for your concern. I'm fine really," Alfred flashed an assuring smile, "I was just thinking, that's all."

"If you say so, sir. Please let me know if you need anything."

After thanking the stewardess, Alfred felt his attention drawing back to the night sky outside the plane window. His bespectacled eyes took on a more fond expression...he wasn't lying to himself that the twinkle of the stars reminded him of the way Arthur's eyes shone...either with a raging determined fire...or a gentle glow like a firefly. That fond look was also tinged with the sadness he displayed in the Tanabata festival. As he kept gazing at the stars, Alfred found himself nodding off to sleep and began to dream a happy memory when Arthur was still his beloved big brother...

* * *

_"Come on, Alfred...time for bed..."_

_"I'm coming!"_

_Arthur smiled as his little colony sprinted from the bathroom after washing his face and brushing his teeth. Alfred happily cuddled up to his big brother, which the blonde nation reciprocated in kind as he quickly changed him into his night clothes. Arthur had dressed down to his long sleeved shirt and pants._

_Alfred jumped onto the plush covers and pillows, loving the billowy softness cushioning him. His big brother had just brought them all the way from London to replace the worn ones and to celebrate that he just got a bigger bed to sleep in. That meant that his beloved big brother can sleep with him too! He nuzzled against a pillow, casting a sweet smile at Arthur._

_"So soft! It's like being on a cloud, Arthur," Alfred beamed at his caretaker, "I like my new bed a lot..."_

_"I'm glad to hear that, Alfred," Arthur felt his heart warm and chuckled at the sight of his little colony wrapped up in the sheets looking like a mummy, "It wasn't easy bringing all your new things here but seeing you happy makes it all worth it, lad."_

_"Story, please?" Alfred begged with his eyes wide, "I want a bedtime story."_

_"Alright, dear...but first let us get settled in first, okay?"_

_Arthur pulled the child nation towards him as he spread open the sheets and covers and fluffed up and straightened the pillows. Then he prompted Alfred to lie down before shuffling up next to him before covering their bodies. Alfred snuggled up to Arthur's clothed chest and felt a kiss on his head in return. He looked up to see green eyes shining brightly at him._

_"What story would you like to hear, Alfred?" _

_Alfred scrunched up his face in thought. His big brother was so wonderful with fairytales. They were filled with faerie folk, magic, brave knights in shining armor rescuing beautiful princesses and dragons to be defeated. The problem was there were too many to choose from. He peeked over Arthur's shoulder and saw the night sky shining through the window behind him. There he saw two lone stars shining above the rest in the sparkling tapestry...the second on the right shining brightly than its partner. He smiled, he knew what story he wanted for tonight..._

_"Peter Pan...I want to hear about Peter Pan..."_

_Arthur's warm chuckle reverberated in his chest, "Alright...Peter Pan it is..."_

_Alfred smiled with excitement as Arthur made himself more comfortable on his side and gently ruffled his hair as he started his story..._

_"A long time ago in the city of London, there lived a good family with three children...there is little Michael, the youngest of the trio...the second in the family was practical-minded John...and the eldest was a girl with a huge imagination and talent for story-telling named Wendy whose greatest story was about a young boy who wouldn't grow up...his name was Peter Pan whose best friend was a little beautiful faerie named Tinker Bell..."_

_As Arthur continued to narrate, little Alfred paid rapt attention to every detail bursting from his big brother's mouth. He could imagine what Neverland would be like and all the inhabitants that lived there. There were mysterious mermaids, other magical faeries like Tinker Bell, strange Indian tribes and of course the ruthless Captain Hook and his crew of pirates. But the child nation thought the best part of the story was when Tinker Bell's light was restored by the children's strong belief in faeries when she saved Peter Pan from the poison...it was all because of the magic of believing that captured his attention. All the while, Arthur's green eyes glowed gently, his heart captured by the innocence shining on Alfred's youthful face._

* * *

_But all too soon, wonderful stories had to come to an end..._

_"After their adventure, Wendy grew up and had children of her own. However, she never stopped believing in Peter Pan nor did she forget him...she told stories of her adventures to her children...and when her children grew up, they told her stories to their own children...and from this cycle, Peter Pan would be remembered and that is how his story came to be to this day...by the magic of believing and storytelling...the end..."_

_Alfred found himself slightly nodding off. But he felt he needed to tell his big brother something important..._

_"Hey Arthur?" Alfred said as he crept closer to level with Arthur's face._

_"What is it, Alfred?" _

_"The stars are so pretty at night..."_

_Arthur briefly looked over his shoulder and nodded, "You're right, they are pretty...it's a pity that I don't get to see them when I go back to my country...my skies are always so cloudy that barely a light shines through...you're so lucky to have them for company."_

_"Oh..." Alfred's eyes dimmed at the response. It meant that his big brother couldn't see the stars as well as he did and for some reason...it made him feel very sad._

_"But...even though we are in different lands, we are all connected by the same sky...so whenever you look up in the deep blue sky...be assured that I'll be looking up at that same sky too...because the sky is like your lovely blue eyes," Arthur watched the young face brighten, "And I'll tell you something extra special, shooting stars are filled with magic...they have the gift to make a wish come true...so make sure when you see a star shooting across the sky, make a wish with all your heart."_

_"Really? Wow! I didn't know that. I'll do that next time," Alfred chirped happily, his unknown sadness forgotten, "Then does this mean that all these stories you told me are real? Not just the stars but all the magic...the faeries, mermaids and everything...they are all real too?"_

_"Of course they are, my lad. I wouldn't have told you all these stories if they weren't true," Arthur smiled. He chuckled when he saw Alfred peeking over his shoulder again...ah...he was looking at the stars again. He brushed his fingers over Alfred's cherubic cheek to catch his attention, "Are you listening, Alfred?"_

_Alfred blinked up at the feathery touches and focused his attention back at the elder nation. Arthur sighed fondly and brushed the sandy locks away from the young face._

_"Faeries do exist...and magic too."_

_"Can...can you do magic?"_

_"Yes, of course I can, Alfred," Arthur replied with some pride in his voice._

_"Wow, cool!" the little nation's eyes sparkled excitedly as he gripped Arthur's shirt, "I wanna see something magical now! Please?"_

_Arthur shook his head, his loving expression turning a bit solemn. Alfred knew that look and stayed quiet. It meant that his brother was being serious._

_"No, Alfred...magic is something that can't be used frivolously..."_

_"Frivolously?" _

_Arthur thought for a while on how to respond to his little colony's question and to clarify his words. When he finally got the answer, he cupped Alfred's little hand and encased it warmly in his own giant hand._

_"What I mean to say is that magic uses the power of your most vivid emotions deep inside your heart and soul...so you can only use it in very special times, my boy..." Arthur explained, "Otherwise, it'll all be terribly wasted..."_

_"Ooh...okay..." _

_Arthur watched Alfred trying to process the words in his mind as his face was scrunched up in thought again before relaxing, "Do you understand now?"_

_Alfred nodded softly, "I think I do...so this means that if I really want to use magic, it will come to me when it's the right time?"_

_"You're such a smart boy. Yes, and I'm sure that you'll be able to call magic to your fingers when you need to...now, no more questions..." Arthur kissed his colony's temple, "It's time to close your eyes and sleep, Alfred. We have a big day ahead tomorrow."_

_"Don't leave me, Arthur..." Alfred tugged on Arthur's sleeve as he buried his head in the big pillow, "Can you sing me to sleep?" _

_"I wasn't planning to, dear...of course I'll sing to you..."_

_Arthur wrapped his arms around Alfred, watching in adoration as the little nation pressed his cheek against his chest. He hummed a soft tune and began to sing a lullabye native to his homeland._

_"Twinkle, twinkle little star...how I wonder what you are...up above the world so high...like a diamond in the sky...twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are..."_

_Alfred found his eyelids slowly growing heavier and heavier as the soft hums washed over him like a warm ray of sunshine...he fisted the soft cotton in his little fist, making sure that his big brother was anchored to him._

_"When the blazing sun is gone...when he nothing shines upon...then you show your little light...twinkle, twinkle all the night...twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are..."_

_Arthur's eyes glowed and his smile was tender as the little blue eyes slowly shut. The fist slowly loosened from his now wrinkled shirt. He gathered the tiny being in a loving embrace. Making sure that his little colony was deeply asleep, Arthur sang one more verse to bless him with sweet dreams..._

_"In the dark blue sky you keep...and often through my curtains peep...for you never shut your eye...'till the sun is in the sky...twinkle twinkle little star...how I wonder what you are..."_

_Planting one more kiss on the sandy blonde locks, Arthur shuffled into the sheets, holding Alfred close to his heart...warming him to the core..._

_"Good night, Alfred..."_

* * *

Alfred blinked his eyes at the end of his dream flashback, the gentle voice of past Arthur waking him to reality. The American nation looked confused for a moment before realizing that he was still in the plane. By then, nearly all of the passengers were asleep and it was still dark out. He also felt warm yet an unmistakable ache resonated in his heart. Was there any recent occasion when Arthur was this tender and sweet towards him? He couldn't really recall it from the top of his head. Even if Arthur did do something nice for him, it meant that he hadn't been paying attention to witness the deed. He knew everything had changed since the Revolutionary War and they had hurt and distanced from each other since until they became allies. But it didn't mean his feelings fell by the wayside. Instead, along with his unquenchable determination to prove his worth, they just grew stronger up until now...

Alfred looked outside his plane window to see the stars still shining in the night sky and sighed...why did the stars have to remind him of what he couldn't achieve? But most importantly, why didn't they make his dearest wish come true when he was a colony under Arthur's care?

The questions buzzing in his head were enough to make Alfred nod off to sleep once again...he clenched his eyes shut, trying to recollect the bittersweet memory for his next dream. As he did, he hummed 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' under his breath and a tear trickled from a closed eyelid.

''Night, Arthur...'

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**Author's notes: **I loved that flashback scene in the original doujinshi. I thought it really portrayed the sweet tender brotherly moment between little Alfred and Arthur in the colonial days. I hope I did justice for it. In any case, there is more to come! Reviews and criticism are greatly appreciated! Until the next update! _**  
**_


	3. Wishing You Are Here Again

**Author's notes: **Hello, I'm back with a new chapter, people! I simply couldn't get enough of the sad cuteness in this doujinshi, I guess it's because the way the characters were portrayed really resonate with my head canon. But I'm glad to see that you guys are still keen on it so let's continue :) and to **Beastie**: I'm afraid the artist name didn't pop up in your review but it's enough to prompt deeper research in Google to find the artist and I hope that the name is correct in the disclaimer :)

**Warnings!: **There will be **DOUJIN PLOT SPOILERS** in this story and did I mention there will be **YAOI** in this? That is the reason for the M rating :) but you will have to wait for the later chapters for the yummy bits to arrive. There will be angst but mostly hurt/comfort, fluff, romance and this is an obvious USUK pairing :) possible OOC for both main characters as I'm interpreting their characters from the doujinshi while putting a bit of my head canon in this.

**Story notes: **This plot is based on USUK doujinshi _Negai Hoshi_, hence the warning for the plot spoilers. If you read anything that you don't recognize from the doujinshi, that would be my work as I'm trying to create some background context from the source to make sense of the plot. Each chapter will begin with a song verse of inspiration to give the idea of what mood it'll create. Flashbacks and dream sequences will be italicized. This whole thing will be _at least_ 6 chapters long so expect an update about each week depending how I'm doing at work and whatnot :)

******Disclaimer:** After some research, I find that all credit of the overall plot, the art and portrayal of the characters of _Negai Hoshi_ goes to **C Wawa** (I hope I spelled correctly). And thank you to **monobuu jeom** (I hope I spelled correctly and stupid formatting refused to add in certain symbols) for the translation otherwise I wouldn't know how the story went :) The due credit of the timeless song of _When You Wish Upon A Star_, made immortalized in the movie Pinocchio, goes to the brilliant Leigh Harlene and Ned Washington for composing it and to Cliff Edwards for the warm rendition that we know so well...

* * *

**When You Wish Upon A Star**

**Chapter 3: Wishing You Are Here Again**

* * *

**Verse of Inspiration:**

When you wish upon a star

Makes no difference who you are...

Anything your heart desires

Will come to you...

~ _When You Wish Upon A Star_, featured in "_Pinocchio"_ by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

* * *

It was early evening in New York when the plane touched down and Alfred was still feeling a bit lethargic from the flight. He tiredly hailed a taxi and instructed the driver to drive back to his house. After unlocking the front door, he dumped his luggage to the side before collapsing on the couch to rest his dizzy and heavy head, grateful for something soft and comforting to rest instead of sandy pillows he had to endure during the flight.

'You'd think you get used to it after a long time of traveling...' Alfred groaned when he felt his head pound against his aching temples, 'Jet lag is a bitch...'

* * *

But after a nap, Alfred felt his head clear and opened his eyes. He adjusted his glasses back onto his nose and stretched his body, wincing when he heard a few bones creak and crack. Remembering about Kiku, Alfred plugged in his iPhone into an available power socket to let it recharge for a while before going to the fridge to get a can of Pepsi Max to quench his thirst.

After finding the device reasonably recharged, he quickly sent a text to Kiku about his arrival, of which he immediately received a prompt reply '_I'm glad you arrived safely, Alfred-san. Any news about Arthur-san yet?_'

Alfred was surprised at the reply. Did Kiku really need to see Arthur this urgently on his next visit?

'But that doesn't mean that you don't want him over now, do you? You know you want to see Arthur again!'

"Shut up, stupid voice!" Alfred griped, shaking his head vigorously to get rid of the giggles he heard in his mind. Why did his heart have to point out the obvious? "As if I want that jerky limey bastard over at my house..."

That was an outright lie...his heart yearned for him. All of a sudden, his large house felt empty like the hollowed space within his heart. The space that was to be filled with the British nation's warmth. He recalled the sad times when Arthur had to return to his own lands to upkeep his responsibilities...he hated those times...it meant that he was alone...always alone...

"_No! No! No! I won't let you go back, Arthur! I don't want to be by myself in this huge place!_" Alfred heard his past child self echo as he looked down the hallway. He could hear the tears in his voice... "_I'll be all alone..._"

"_I'm sorry, my lad...I was lonely too at your age so I know how you feel..._" Alfred closed his eyes, trying to cling onto past Arthur's voice...this would be the last time he was so warm, tender and kind to him...to the little him anyway...

'Liar...you never knew how I felt at that time...' Alfred's mind shouted until his heart told it to shut up.

"_I'll come visit you again...until then, Alfred...grow up and become strong, okay?_"

Alfred heard the soft sobs and cries that followed before they faded away. He sighed at how pitiful he sounded back then. It was the past, he shouldn't be thinking of these things. And speaking of which, he still had to call Arthur about the sleepover. He found the other nation's contact number and called it, hearing the dialing tone at the other end. After a few dials, Alfred could hear the click of a phone being picked up.

"Hello, Arthur speaking," a long drawn-out yawn punctuated the greeting.

'Oh man...maybe I should've checked the time before calling,' Alfred had forgotten the island nation was on a much different time zone from his.

"Hello? Who's there? I'm not in a mood for a prank call, whoever you are!" Alfred detected the grouchy tone and decided to answer before the other hung up.

"Hey dude, it's me!" Alfred was surprised at how jovial his voice sounded even though his heart pounded at the thick British accent of the other nation.

"Alfred?" Arthur's voice held some surprise before reverting back to his irritated self, "Why are you calling at this late hour? Couldn't this wait until I had a decent night's sleep?"

"Hehehe, sorry, I was just wondering if you want to come to a sleepover at my place this coming week," silence reigned at the other end and Alfred was becoming a bit nervous but he took it as a cue to continue speaking, "It'll be fun, we'll have a movie marathon, play video games and everything."

"This isn't going to be one of those horror movie challenge marathons, is it?" Arthur's exasperated tone reached into the younger nation's ear, "The last time you challenged me to the best 2 out of 3 challenge movie challenge with vampires, you ended up camping in my room for the entire night with the lights on. Not only that, you stunk the whole room with garlic and nearly took all the covers and sheets for yourself. I'm not going through that again."

"Hey! It was the only way to make the vampires go away! I thought you understand! And you betrayed me by sleeping earlier than I did!"

"Idiot...then you might as well watch those crass masterpieces you call _Twilight._..then you can take in comfort that there are others that drink only bovine blood," Alfred swore he heard a hint of fondness behind the sarcastic insult. But that was probably his imagination.

"Anyway, dude...are you coming over or not?"

He heard a sigh at the other end, "I don't know...it's pretty sudden, Alfred."

"Arthur, it's been a looong while since you visited...come on, I got all the James Bond movies that you like and then we can watch Indiana Jones afterwards. We'll be watching each other's heroes so it'll be really cool."

"Well...it does sound rather tempting..."

"Hey just so you know, Kiku will be coming over too at a later time. He said that he wanted to pass something to you in person for letting him stay over at your place."

"Oh? That's something Kiku would do...he didn't have to do all the trouble just because I let him stay at my house...still..." a brief silence followed before Arthur gave his answer, "Alright Alfred, I'll come over...but only because Kiku is going to be there, that's all."

Alfred was slightly disappointed at the response; it was as if he was brushed aside...like he didn't matter. But no matter, Arthur was going to come over and it brought some excitement back into his self, causing him to shout, "Yay! You're the best! This is gonna be awesome!"

"Quiet down, idiot! You nearly made me deaf!" Alfred heard Arthur sigh at the other end before continuing, "Anyway, give me some time to get things organized with my boss and then I'll text you the details."

"That's cool, dude," Alfred heard Arthur yawn at the other end.

"Now I need to get back to sleep...can I hang up now?"

"Sure, Artie."

"And don't call me Artie...good night, Alfred..."

"'Night, Arthur..."

And with that, Arthur hung up, leaving the powerful nation listening to the beeps to signal the end of the conversation. Then he went upstairs to his room to get ready for bed.

* * *

After relaying a quick text to Kiku to update on the situation with Arthur upon which he received a polite reply to await the confirmation, Alfred laid down on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head, gazing up through the new skylight he constructed on his ceiling. With the lever located at his bedside for easy access, he opened the wooden panes and the cool breezes ventilated his room nicely so that was no need for air-conditioning tonight. He sighed upon seeing the stars twinkling above him. It was a beautiful night yet his heart wasn't into it.

Once upon a time, Alfred did love the stars...he was a small nation who looked up to Arthur, his big brother whom he aspired to be and placed his whole trust in his stories and knowledge. Absorbed in his thoughts, Alfred eventually closed his bespectacled eyes and fell asleep. As he dreamed, he recalled the time he wished on a shooting star, which in the end, made him cry...

* * *

_Little Alfred clambered onto the high stool he leaned against the wall. Placing one hand on the windowsill, he pulled himself up while struggling to keep a hold on a wooden soldier in his other fist. Succeeding in his task, the little nation carefully placed the wooden soldier to one side before he reached up to unlatch and push the window flaps open. Alfred found himself mesmerized by the sight of the stars twinkling brightly against the dark blue sky, looking like a sparkling river. He looked down at the wooden soldier he left on the windowsill and smiled slightly. On his previous visit which landed on his birthday, Arthur brought him a precious gift: his very own set of toy soldiers to play with and they came with a portable castle chest to keep them safe in. Arthur had made the toys himself as evidenced by his bandaged arm supported by a sling and they were all the more special to him. They spent several wonderful days playing with the soldiers in imaginary battle scenarios. But all too soon, Arthur had to return to his own country to continue working on his duties...and that thought made the small smile on the bright face fade into a sad frown._

_"I wonder if Arthur has been so busy...he hasn't come to visit me at all recently..." Alfred turned to his little wooden soldier and talked to it as if it were alive, "Hey, did you know that even if we are far apart, we are connected by the same sky. Arthur taught me that...I wonder if he's looking up at the sky like I am now?"_

_Just then, a shooting star zipped across the sky, making Alfred jump up and nearly fall off the stool in excitement._

_"Ah! A shooting star! Ah! Uhm!" Alfred clasped his hands and shut his eyes in concentration, remembering what Arthur told him about shooting stars. He wished with all his might, placing his all of his faith on the shining star. He visioned his big brother smiling at him with his arms open wide, 'Dear shooting star, this is my wish. I don't care how...but please let me go to where Arthur is...let him see the clear blue sky with me...'_

_And just at that moment after that conjured vision...he saw his big brother in a lavishly furnished space looking through his window, his green eyes fixed on the night sky..._

_'I also hope that he'll come and visit me again...I miss him so much...please shine brightly so that he'll remember to come and see me.'_

_The child nation opened his eyes just in time to see the shooting star disappearing into the dark horizon, continuing its journey elsewhere._

_"Please and thank you, shooting star!"_

_Alfred found himself smiling widely, feeling certain his wish was sure to come true. The child nation yawned, feeling sleepiness creeping into his eyes. He carefully closed the window panes and bolted the latch._

_"Okay! Time for bed!" Alfred took the little soldier in his hand and clambered down the stool to head to the bathroom to wash up._

_After placing the toy soldier back into the chest with the rest of its brothers, Alfred changed into his nightclothes and plopped onto the bed. He nuzzled against the soft pillow against his cheek and closed his eyes._

_'I hope that Arthur watched the same sky as I did...my wish is sure to come true...I hope he comes soon,' he sighed and gave into his exhaustion, "Good night, Arthur..."_

_He slept peacefully that night, dreaming of Arthur laughing with him in the sunshine, his green eyes soft and gentle and his hand reaching out for him to grab..._

* * *

_"Hello Alfred dear, I've come by to check on you."_

_Alfred looked through the window to see Miss Amelia approaching his house. He really liked her. She was kind to him and sometimes came by to check up on him and to do some housework for him. The little nation smiled brighter. That also meant that she was likely going to have a letter to pass to him...a letter from Arthur, to be more precise. He ran to unlock the door to let her inside whereupon he received a gentle kiss on his head._

_"Hello, Miss Amelia."_

_"Good to see you looking so bright and cheerful, dear...ah yes!" She reached into her dress pocket and fished out a neatly folded letter with a wax seal on it._

_Alfred's heart skipped the moment he saw the rose and crown symbol imprinted on the wax. It belonged to Arthur!_

_"Here you go, Alfred. This letter arrived for you this morning."_

_"Thank you very much!"_

_He took the letter from the woman's outstretched hand. He carefully broke the seal and opened the folded letter. He began to read its contents, all the while excited that the shooting star really worked and wondering when his big brother was going to visit him soon._

_'Dear Alfred, are you doing well?' _

_"Of course, I am, Arthur...I wished on the star...so I'm sure that it'll..."_

_'It's cloudy over here in England as always...'_

_"The star..."_

_His little heart broke at the mention of 'cloudy'...to him, it meant that Arthur didn't see the star he saw the other night and that he also hadn't been thinking of him. In his sadness, he began to unconsciously crumple the paper in his fists._

_"No! Arthur's letter!" _

_Alfred hurriedly placed the paper on the wooden floor and smoothed out the wrinkles. He continued to read further and he felt his broken heart ache more..._

_'I'm sure the skies over your lands are calm and serene today just like the blue of your eyes...'_

_Alfred began to cry...his large blue eyes shimmered and filled to the brim before the tears fell onto the paper in large drops, smearing the fine ink script into blotches..._

_'As always, I hope to see you soon...take care until then. Love, Arthur."_

_Arthur wasn't coming...he didn't say in the letter...but the shooting star...why didn't..._

_Alfred felt weak as his little body was wrecked with sobs. The star didn't work! When Miss Amelia found him crumpled on the floor, she hugged him, trying to bring comfort to him. But not even her soothing hugs and hushed coos could heal the ache within his heart..._

* * *

_Alfred had stopped crying by the time nightfall arrived and Miss Amelia left to go home. But the little nation still had tears clinging at the edge of his eyes as he looked up to the starry sky. He couldn't understand why the star didn't work...he wished on it with all his might; he really wanted Arthur to come back to visit him again...his big brother was never wrong about this sort of thing...especially about magic..._

_'When Arthur looks into the clear blue sky, he thinks of me...'_

_Alfred's mind began to fill with a deep anxiety that gripped his heart in a vice..._

_'But Arthur's lands are always cloudy...so this means that he doesn't think of me very much, right?'_

_The tears at the edge of his eyes grew larger and fell down his cheeks..._

_'So he'll probably forget about me and he won't come and see me anymore...'_

_Alfred had never felt more scared and alone than before in his large world..._

_'What should I do?'_

_Alfred sharply turned away from the starry sky._

_'I have to do something!'_

_Alfred felt new sobs rising from his small body._

_'I want Arthur to come back!'_

* * *

"Come back, Arthur!"

Alfred shot up in bed at the sound of chirping birds and sunlight streaming into his bedroom. He felt for his glasses left crooked on his nose. He straightened them and found to his surprise that his vision was still slightly blurry. He felt something wet sliding down his cheeks and his chest hurt. He wiped the back of his fist across his cheek and found tears smearing his skin.

'Tears?' he hastily rubbed his eyes, 'What the hell's wrong with me? Why am I getting these flashbacks?'

Just then, he heard his iPhone vibrate and he checked the screen to find a text message from Arthur. His heart quickened as he entered the passcode and read its contents written in articulate speech. Alfred had to chuckle that the older nation still refused to use abbreviations and emoticons to write his texts even though he kept on badgering him that it would save time.

'_Alfred, it appears that I don't have much to do at my end so it appears I can afford to stay with you for a few days. I've already booked my flight and I'll be arriving tomorrow at your place around 3pm your time. Please make sure your home is at least livable by the time I arrive. Take care. I'll see you soon. Arthur."_

Alfred's smile started to return and his heart just felt a bit lighter. He finally had something else to occupy his mind and he was really looking forward to Arthur's visit.

After texting a reply to confirm the arrangement, the young nation rolled up his sleeves as he made a mental checklist what needed to be cleaned. The kitchen and living room would make a good start. He was going to be busy for a while...

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**Author's notes: **Oh man, when I first read that particular flashback, my heart broke, knowing how much little Alfred is missing his brother and thinking his wish didn't come true...at least this is what I interpreted it from the doujinshi. I'm sorry if I offended any Twilight fans, that wasn't my intention but vegetarian vampires sound...weird. Anyhows, my inbox is welcoming more reviews and constructive criticism :) I'm on the next chapter now :)


	4. Creating Your Own Stars

**Author's notes: **Hello, my dears! **This is it! The story is officially bumped up to the M-rating.** I'm so glad to see that this story still got some attention even after I had a tough week at work so let's get right into the plot, shall we?

**Warnings!: **There will be **DOUJIN PLOT SPOILERS** in this story and did I mention there will be **YAOI** in this? That is the reason for the M rating :) but you will have to wait for the later chapters for the yummy bits to arrive. There will be angst but mostly hurt/comfort, fluff, romance and this is an obvious USUK pairing :) possible OOC for both main characters as I'm interpreting their characters from the doujinshi while putting a bit of my head canon in this. **This is an M-rated chapter because of well...there will be _masturbation_ in this chapter and the yummy parts will come in soon...**

**Story notes: **This plot is based on USUK doujinshi _Negai Hoshi_, hence the warning for the plot spoilers. If you read anything that you don't recognize from the doujinshi, that would be my work as I'm trying to create some background context from the source to make sense of the plot. Each chapter will begin with a song verse of inspiration to give the idea of what mood it'll create. Flashbacks and dream sequences will be italicized. This whole thing will be _at least_ 6 chapters long so expect an update about each week depending how I'm doing at work and whatnot :)

**Disclaimer: **After some research, I find that all credit of the overall plot, the art and portrayal of the characters of _Negai Hoshi_ goes to **C Wawa** (I hope I spelled correctly). And thank you to **monobuu jeom** (I hope I spelled correctly and stupid formatting refused to add in certain symbols) for the translation otherwise I wouldn't know how the story went :) The due credit of the timeless song of _When You Wish Upon A Star_, made immortalized in the movie Pinocchio, goes to the brilliant Leigh Harlene and Ned Washington for composing it and to Cliff Edwards for the warm rendition that we know so well...

* * *

**When You Wish Upon A Star**

**Chapter 4: Creating Your Own Stars**

**Warning!:** Masturbation smut ahead, read at your own risk.

* * *

**Verse of inspiration:**

If your heart is in your dream

No request is too extreme...

When you wish upon a star

As dreamers do...

~ _When You Wish Upon A Star_, featured in "_Pinocchio"_ by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

* * *

Throughout the day, Alfred ran about the house, checking what needed to be cleaned and restocked. First, he cleaned and polished the kitchen stove and oven while making a quick mental list what snacks and soft drinks he would need to buy later. Then he set up his PS3 and flipped through his Blu-Ray collection to pick out the James Bond and Indiana Jones movies, stacking them to one side so that they were easily accessible for the movie marathon. Then came the arduous task: to scavenge the random piles of discarded fast food containers, snack bar wrappers and McDonald takeaway bags he happened to have left around the living room over the last few days before his trip to Japan. After throwing out the trash, Alfred vacuumed the floor, wiped the table and fluffed up the throw pillows on the settee set. The bespectacled nation surveyed his handiwork, feeling quite proud that the living room and kitchen looked reasonably clean and presentable. Then he made his way to the spare rooms, which were just next door to his own room.

* * *

First Alfred attended to the room where Kiku usually slept, which was located a bit further down the corridor. He had no trouble fixing anything major up as Kiku was always so pristine that he hardly used anything in his room whenever he stayed over...except that he always made the water bill skyrocket due to his long baths; a daily ritual the meek nation just couldn't leave out. He would need to find a compromise somehow...but that would wait until his arrival.

Then he had to tend to the room where Arthur slept the last time...

The faint stench of garlic welcomed his nose after he opened the door. He chuckled slightly when he saw the faint super glue remnants still staining the light switches. Somehow and fortunately, he managed to remove most of the tough-as-nails crusted stuff, making the lights fully functional again. It also caused him to remember the fiasco of their previous sleepover Arthur mentioned in their yesterday's phone conversation. It was certainly an unforgettable night...

* * *

Alfred had once again challenged Arthur to see who would get scared first after watching some horror movies with the theme centered on vampires. Of course, it was no surprise that the island nation, having an affinity with magic and being a master of anything dark and scary, had been largely unaffected by the movie marathon and left Alfred cowering behind his pillow. Alfred had been too scared to sleep in his large room all by himself in case a vampire would come out of the shadows and devour his blood. That was when he decided to sleep with Arthur instead. The island nation reluctantly allowed him to do so but what Alfred did next made Arthur fly into an irritable rage. He didn't count on the young nation making a makeshift grenade filled with garlic and stunk the whole room, placing super glue on the switches to make sure the lights stayed on and hogging his sheets and blankets throughout the night. Consequently both nations didn't have a full decent night's sleep and had to resort to several showers and lots of cheap deodorant to finally get rid of the garlic stench.

But the best thing he thought that came from it was the island nation didn't leave his side or kick him from his bed despite his threats to do so and he even grudgingly allowed Alfred to snuggle him from behind in case he had another nightmare. It reminded him of the tender times back in the old days when Arthur would allow him to sleep with him when he was sick or had a nightmare. That night, he savoured having the smaller built nation cuddled in his arms. Alfred had bit back a snicker and couldn't help but tease at the red flush forming across the normally pale cheeks. The other nation gritted at him to shut up and scrunched his eyes shut tightly in an effort to sleep. Arthur felt so right in his embrace; how his thin back molded perfectly against his front...the way his golden blonde bed-head created a halo around him...and how baby soft the skin of his pale neck was when he brushed his nose against it...

* * *

Alfred's mind began to wonder what sounds the island nation would make if he did kiss and bite his neck that night. As he did, he felt himself blushing and the embers of lust stirred in his groin. The young nation couldn't deny that in addition to his growing yearning feelings, he also felt something physical for his former caretaker...making him want to ravage the older nation from head to toe...to make Arthur spout breathless moans when he would pleasure him...to cause those beautiful green eyes brim with longing for him and his swollen lips whisper his name in a neverending mantra...

Alfred found himself shuffling to the bed and laying down upon it, specifically on the side where Arthur slept. He hadn't changed the sheets and blankets since the sleepover and the garlic stench grew just a bit stronger. Yet Alfred could detect the faint but recognizable scent of black tea mixed with the minty cologne Arthur always wore when he pressed his nose against the pillow...it was soothing and it excited his senses...at once, Arthur came into his vision smiling sensually at him.

"Arthur..."

Alfred felt his groin heating up more and beads of sweat started to collect on his forehead. He closed his bespectacled eyes, trying to keep focus on his vision of Arthur. He imagined the island nation lying beneath him, presenting his neck as he pressed the side of his head against the sheets. The powerful nation swallowed the drool building up in his mouth as his left hand palmed the growing bulge in his jeans and his right unbuttoned his shirt and pulled the garment apart to play with a nipple. Alfred pinched the pebbling bud as he pictured himself nibbling and kissing the older's neck teasingly. Knowing how stubborn the island nation was, Alfred betted that Arthur would try to stifle them and a beautiful blush would spread across his cheeks in his efforts to do so...when he couldn't hold them in anymore, he would toss his head back and give out a defeated sigh followed by guttural groans and sensual whimpers that would send shivers down his spine. Alfred whined himself, feeling the tingles spreading across his chest as he pinched and massaged the nipple between his fingertips before switching to the other to give the same treatment. He recollected the very rare times he saw the older nation sleep, stripped from the waist up back to sleep through the occasional hot and humid nights when they had to share a tent together during World War 2. Recollecting from these far distant memories, Alfred mentally stripped Arthur in his vision as he continued to pleasure himself. The older nation wasn't buff and he had quite a thin slender build but not enough to make him look effeminate. He had some muscles built up on his upper biceps and his stomach was trim. His deceptively lithe hands that always held delicate teacups and embroidery needles were calloused from weapon use and his pale skin bore a patchwork of faint scars obtained from his past battles. How he wished he could lick and suck those dusky nipples into hardness...kiss and worship every scar marring that otherwise perfect milky soft skin...to hold him close and mold that luscious body against him to feel every contour of his chest...his sharp hips...and those legs...they would be slender but firm like the rest of his body.

"Shit...I'm going crazy..." Alfred breathed deeply as he worked to unbutton his tight jeans and pulled down the zipper.

After shifting the denim down to his thighs, Alfred gripped his hardening erection through his cotton boxers and rubbed it, feeling the soft material grazing the sensitive flesh. He threw his head back at the fleeting blissful sensation and slowly stroked himself, familiarizing with the growing weight and warmth emanating from his flesh. He imagined Arthur's legs gently grazing his hips before softly intertwining them with his own legs to pull him into his arms, begging him to touch him below...

"Oh fuck...if only that were to happen..."

Alfred pulled down his boxers and pulled out his heated flesh. He hissed upon feeling the cool air but moaned when he started to massage it firmly in his fist. He imagined wantonly grinding down on the smaller body beneath him as he returned to bite and kiss his neck...to his collarbone...his nipples...his stomach...and going further south. His muscled body was slowly coated in a light sweat as his imagination of Arthur writhing and moaning beneath him grew more vivid and arousing...

The superpower nation's hips began to sway into his fist, the tightening coil burning in his loins. He felt precum sliding down his coiled fingers and briefly opened his eyes find his cockhead glistening in a rosy hue. He swiped his thumb over the slit and cried out at the fleeting fissures of pleasure...it felt so good there...imagine if Arthur was there taking him into his mouth...or opening up to allow him to sink his flesh into his hot body...

"Damn...damn it all..."

Fueled by his imagination, Alfred felt his cock swell into full hardness as he stroked it at an increasing pace, feeling the pressure between his legs escalating to new unbearable heights. The precum and sweat lubricated his flesh, making the hard appendage glossy and moist. Sounds of wet stroking upon sleek skin echoed in the air. Releasing his nipples, he coated his index and middle fingertips with saliva and nervously brought them to prod the tip of his cock, causing his hips to shoot up and more precum sliding down his flesh. Moans erupted from the back of his throat as his hips pumped in a frenzy. He also became more daring to play with the sensitive head as his hand slid up and down his cock, succumbing to the sexual bliss running through his veins. After a while, his youthful body couldn't hold on much longer...he needed his release. Alfred rolled onto his stomach and began humping against the sheets after releasing his heated organ from his grip. He whimpered at the soft cool material caressing him. He gripped the sheets tightly in his fists and pressed his head harder against the pillow, causing his glasses to go crooked on his nose. His nose avidly inhaled the fading remnants of Arthur's scent, adding fire to his raging lust...and the deepening ache in his heart. He felt hot tears pricking the edge of his eyes as he neared the pinnacle...

"Arthur...Arthur..." Alfred murmured the name of his desire over and over again.

He felt his toes and fingers tingle into numbness as the wet spot beneath him grew and his cock twitching between the sheets and his stomach. His buttocks flexed with each desperate thrust. He whimpered into the pillow, his fists nearly tearing into the fabric with each shooting burst of pleasure attacking his body.

"Gonna come...so close..."

"_Alfred_..." he imagined Arthur's sweaty body heaving beneath him as he whispered his name, his head thrown back and his red face scrunched up deliciously, "_I love you_..."

"ARTHUR!"

Alfred clenched his body as he climaxed violently, his legs tensed up and his toes curling tightly. Bright stars clouded his eyes and burst before him like fireworks. He whimpered as he felt the stabbing needles of intense pleasure attacking his body. His cock throbbed against the cool sheets as it spurted ribbons of sticky hot cum beneath him with some stray droplets flicking onto his upper torso. The tears spilled from his eyelashes as he slumped back down against the now messy sheets, his heartache mixing with post-coital warmth resonating in his tired and sweaty body. His glasses fell off his face onto the pillow.

Alfred was too lost in his growing lovesick angst to clean himself up at the moment. The visions he saw as he masturbated would surely never become reality and they made him cry just like the current flashbacks he experienced. Alfred breathed deeply in an effort to calm himself as he felt more hot tears sliding down his cheeks. The fluorescent stars he saw in his post orgasmic state refused to leave his line of vision and he cursed them for their incessant presence. But they did trigger another flashback when Alfred attempted to find a solution to make a sky of stars for Arthur...

* * *

_Alfred had fallen into a restless sleep that starry night. He didn't have his usual sweet dream of his big brother's smiling face and his large gentle hands reaching out for him for a loving hug. Instead, the little nation dreamt Arthur looking at him blankly before turning his back on him and walking away towards an unseen horizon; and no matter how fast Alfred ran, he could never catch up to him and Arthur disappeared into thin air...it scared him to the core and made him wake up with his little heart aching in his chest._

_But the huge disappointment also made him think of different reasons why the shooting star didn't grant his dearest wish. He wasn't going to give up easily on just one setback. Alfred tapped his chin with a finger as he was further absorbed in his thoughts...maybe...just maybe..._

_'Arthur always brings me presents and souvenirs whenever he comes to visit, so why don't I do the same for him? I'll make him something that reminds him of me. Hmmm...Christmas is the only holiday coming up so it'll be perfect...'_

_The first thing he thought was how to help clear the cloudy skies clear over Arthur's homeland but then how was he going to do that? Slowly he began to recollect about what Arthur told him about making his own magic when the time was right. Just then, a metaphorical lightbulb switched on in the little head and his face brightened._

_'I don't know how to make the sky blue but...ah! I know! I can make a sky filled with stars for Arthur! I'll make special ones for him so that when my magic works, they'll appear in the cloudy skies in his homeland.'_

_Alfred thought back to the last time Arthur made stars for him...star-shaped sugared cookies, to be precise. The sovereign nation knew that these cookies were his colony's favourite treat and he would always bake them at least once on his every visit. _

* * *

_Arthur would roll up his sleeves to start his task of mixing the flour, eggs, crushed wheat and oats and various ingredients to create the cookie dough and roll it out into a flat pristine sheet. Then he would call his colony to help him cut the shapes with the star cookie cutter. The child nation thought it was the best part because Arthur would praise him for his cookie cutting skills and it made Alfred proud that he cut the cookies out so well. _

_Then Arthur would take out a handled baking pan and greased it with butter before laying the cookies out evenly and placing them into the wood-fire oven. As they baked, they would prepare black tea to go with the treats. The older nation always added a bit more sugar and some honey to Alfred's tea just the way he liked it. In addition, he would quickly inspect the cookies at 15 minute intervals to make sure they were properly baked. _

_Once they were done, Arthur would put on his leather gloves to retrieve the piping hot baking pan and little Alfred's mouth would water at the tantalizing aroma of baked wheat and oats. Then he would slide them onto a large plate and retrieve a sieve to dust some powdered sugar on top. Alfred would watch with rapture as the sugar sprinkled onto the baked treats like fallen snow. _

_And with a smile on his face, his big brother would give the nod and Alfred would help himself to the first cookie of the batch, smiling back at him with each bite of his treat and greedy drink of sweet tea. And Arthur's smile would widen and his green eyes sparkle brightly yet gently as he demurely sipped his own tea and helped himself to a cookie. _

_The plate often turned up empty by the time they finished their tea...it was that good and precious as a priceless warm memory..._

* * *

_Alfred was going to do something a bit different. He knew he was too little to use the cooking utensils and the oven. And besides he wasn't just going to make just a few stars...he had to create many to fill an entire sky..._

_'I'm sure my wish didn't come true because it was only just one star...it wasn't enough... Alfred's young face was set in a determined frown and nodded to himself, confident of his reasoning, 'Now how am I going to make my stars for Arthur?'_

_Alfred went back to his bedroom and rummaged through his chest of toys and various playthings he accumulated for his craft supplies. What could he use? There was clay...no, the stars won't stay in shape if he had to package them in a present. Yarn...he could do some knitting but how could he knit stars? Wood? Out of the question, he couldn't use the tools; they were too big and sharp...then he found his favourite box of crayons, his trusty pair of scissors and some plain paper...yes, they could work...but there wasn't enough paper...he needed a lot to make those stars for Arthur. _

_Then his eyes fell upon the royal blue cotton blanket lining his bed. He trudged to the side and felt the soft material. He gasped, realizing the blanket was the perfect medium to create his gift. It was big enough to create hundreds and possibly thousands of stars for Arthur. Then that way he could hide and use the blanket later for something else, provided that his big brother won't find it and be cross for ruining it. And besides he had more stored in his linen cupboard, Arthur won't notice if one was missing. He pushed the comforter aside and pulled the blanket off his bed._

_He spread the blanket flat onto the floor, making sure there were no big wrinkles before retrieving his crayons. After taking off his shoes, he carefully crawled over the material and began to carefully draw as many stars as he could. He smiled when he saw that his crayons left decent marks; now he was sure to succeed in his task he set out to do. After making a few mistakes here and there, Alfred accomplished in filling the entire blanket with drawn stars. Alfred was covered with bits of coloured wax from having to crawl over the stained blanket and he untucked his shirt because he was becoming a bit sweaty. He held up the pair of scissors, his face plastered in that same determined frown...now it came to the tricky part. Now all Alfred had to do was to cut them out just as carefully as he drew them._

_'This is for you, Arthur...' Alfred thought as he began cutting into the material, 'I'll give you a whole sky full of stars...'_

_Alfred didn't know how long he crouched on the floor. His mind was fixed on one goal: to cut out as many stars as he could for his big brother. With each star cut out in decent state, he carefully pushed it aside to move on to the next one. By early nightfall, the little nation exhausted himself and he fell asleep on the damaged blanket surrounded by the stars strewn across the floor, all the while dreaming of Arthur cuddling him in his arms..._

* * *

Alfred was brought back from his reminiscing when he felt something vibrate near his thigh and the fluorescent stars promptly vanished from his blurry vision. He quickly fumbled for it after remembering that he had his iPhone in one of his jeans pockets. It must had slipped out onto the bed when he rolled over. He looked at the screen and found another text message from Kiku. Alfred mentally slapped himself for forgetting to let Kiku know Arthur was definitely coming.

"Sorry for not letting you know about Arthur's arrival...he'll be here by tomorrow afternoon, hope that it's ok with you, Kiku..." Alfred dictated to himself while he texted before he pressed the send button.

A reply was swiftly returned and Alfred read what it said: '_Thank you for letting me know, Alfred-san. It'll be good to see you and Arthur-san again. I look forward to my visit as scheduled. Please take care. With regards, Kiku._"

Placing his iPhone on the side-table, Alfred winced when he saw the mess created on the sheets and on himself. Giving a heavy sigh, he fixed the glasses back onto his nose after retrieving them from the pillow.

"Great..more cleaning...I guess I better get to it, knowing how fussy Artie is..."

Alfred used a dry section of the sheet to wipe the sticky cum off his stomach and chest before he tucked himself back into his boxers and pulled up his jeans. He buttoned his shirt and wiped the tears from his cheeks. Yet the longing still throbbed in his heart. He gazed down at the soiled sheets and the pillow where Arthur's golden head laid before. He grabbed the pillow and pressed it to his cheek, finding to his disappointment that the familiar scent of the older nation had disappeared altogether. He shook his head, sighing once again...

"Oh Arthur..."

His blue eyes grew dark and despondent as he pressed the pillow harder to his hurting chest, trying to mentally replace the soft cushiony mass with his imagination of Arthur's warm solid body in his arms in an attempt to lessen the intensity of his heartache. But it wasn't enough to soothe him as pillows were not made to hug back. It made the young nation feel sad and alone...just like when he was little, yearning for his big brother to come back...

"I wish you are here now..." his voice was small and pitiful...

Silence was his answer.

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**Author's notes: **I had to stop there, I'm afraid...I feel pretty terrible letting Alfred angst over like this...Anyhows! The Easter long weekend is coming up soon and maybe...just maybe...I could post two chapters during that period since I'll get more free time. Look out the next update by Thursday/Friday!


	5. Fading Hope and Broken Dreams

**Author's notes: **Hello again! I decided to post it early since I'm not getting much work at the moment. It's the start of the Easter long weekend! This is where the turning point of the story really comes in and bring on more angst...please read on, my dears!

**Warnings!: **There will be **DOUJIN PLOT SPOILERS** in this story and did I mention there will be **YAOI** in this? That is the reason for the M rating :) but you will have to wait for the later chapters for the yummy bits to arrive. There will be angst but mostly hurt/comfort, fluff, romance and this is an obvious USUK pairing :) possible OOC for both main characters as I'm interpreting their characters from the doujinshi while putting a bit of my head canon in this.

**Story notes: **This plot is based on USUK doujinshi _Negai Hoshi_, hence the warning for the plot spoilers. If you read anything that you don't recognize from the doujinshi, that would be my work as I'm trying to create some background context from the source to make sense of the plot. Each chapter will begin with a song verse of inspiration to give the idea of what mood it'll create. Flashbacks and dream sequences will be italicized. Thnis whole thing will be _at least_ 6 chapters long so expect an update about each week depending how I'm doing at work and whatnot :)

**Disclaimer:** After some research, I find that all credit of the overall plot, the art and portrayal of the characters of _Negai Hoshi_ goes to **C Wawa** (I hope I spelled correctly). And thank you to **monobuu jeom** (I hope I spelled correctly and stupid formatting refused to add in certain symbols) for the translation otherwise I wouldn't know how the story went :) _I'll Try_ is credited to Jonatha Brookes for creating and performing this melancholic but beautiful song...

* * *

**When You Wish Upon A Star**

**Chapter 5: Fading Hope and Broken Dreams**

* * *

**Verses of inspiration:**

I'm too tired to listen...

I'm too old to believe...

All these childish stories...

There is no such thing as faith...

And trust...

And pixie dust...

I try...

But it's so hard to believe...

I try...

But I can't see what you see...

I try...

I try...

I try...

~ _I'll Try_, featured in "Peter Pan 2: Return to Neverland" by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

* * *

It took a long while for Alfred to snap out of his stupor. He finally let go of the pillow and stripped the bed of the stained and garlic-ridden sheets, pillow cases and blankets and placed them in a laundry basket next to the washing machine. He took out a fresh set of sheets and pillow cases to make up the bed. He tucked in the sheets tightly at the corners, folded the flat sheet and fluffed up the pillows, trying to make them as neat and pristine as possible which he hoped would impress the island nation when he would arrive tomorrow afternoon. Then he went to the linen cupboard and took out a sizable pile of blankets. He left the thickest ones on the bed for Arthur to use while he intended to bring the rest downstairs to the living room to make the couch more comfy. To finish off the household task, Alfred retrieved one of his automatic air fresheners and placed it on one of the shelves. He adjusted the dial to spray at half hour intervals so that it would get rid of the lingering garlic smell. The fragrance happened to be one of the floral kind...roses and pine, to be precise. The cool sweet scent reminded him so much of Arthur and his small but extravagant rose garden he kept in the back of his house...how the elder nation looked so divine among the roses...and it made him look all the more beautiful...

"Aaagh...I guess Arthur will never stray from my mind...but he's always too far for me to reach..." Alfred sighed in defeat and a wry bitter grin graced his face, 'Just like all the other times...'

He had accepted the sad fact by now that if he were to try and shake thoughts of the British nation from his mind, they would just come back tenfold to torment him so he just let them roam in his head.

He glanced at his watch: 2 o'clock. He still had time to head to McDonald's for lunch and the supermarket to stock the essentials for the sleepover. Grabbing his iPhone, wallet and keys while hefting the blankets to plonk them on the couch, Alfred left the house in his sports car to head into the city. All the while, his head swam with thoughts of Arthur...

* * *

It was nearly nighttime Alfred arrived back home. After having both lunch and dinner at McDonalds, he had bought bags of chips, several 1-liter bottles of Coke and Pepsi Max and various packets of candy bars, chocolate chip cookies, marshmallows and microwaveable popcorn that could last a whole week. He also purchased some more coffee beans to replenish his dwindling supply as well as some eggs, bacon, hash browns and various other groceries.

Even though he had everything he needed for the upcoming sleepover, he was starting to feel butterflies in his stomach. His mind reeled frantically why he even agreed to Kiku's request in the first place. He wasn't supposed to feel this nervous about the elder nation's arrival tomorrow afternoon. Arthur had come to his place other times before.

But since the Tanabata festival in Japan, Alfred hadn't been exactly feeling like his normal heroic self...and those flashbacks that were triggered by the stars...they only served as a bittersweet reminder on why he longed for Arthur's presence and how the stars he was fascinated with let him down...

After placing the purchases in their designated locations, he boiled some water in a kettle. Every now and then, Alfred would settle for some hot coffee for the night but tonight he wasn't in the mood for it...instead, his attention was focused on a box of black tea bags he held in his hands and several packets of licorice all-sorts left on the countertop. While he was shopping, he thought that he should get the British nation something familiar to eat and drink when he stayed over. It was the least he could do for accepting his sudden invitation. The first thing he thought of was the black tea he always drank. The licorice candy came as an afterthought since he saw Arthur frequently munch them when he was busy with work. The young nation shuddered when he remembered when Arthur offered one of the candies to him to sample when he was curious about it. The foreign taste made him wince and he spat it out, making Arthur fly into an irritable tantrum of wasting his sweets.

Alfred used to love drinking tea with his former brother...they were tender and warm memories. He swore to never drink the beverage ever again out of rebellious anger at Arthur imposing heavy taxes on it and among other things before the war severed the loving fraternal bond they once shared. But the superpower nation found himself opening the box and cutting open a sealed packet to retrieve the tea bag and place it in his favourite cup. As if in a trance, he poured the boiling water while watching the tea-leaves tint the water in a deep shade of golden brown. Then he poured in the sugar and honey and stirred the liquid just like he remembered Arthur doing after discarding the tea bag. He looked down at the swirling liquid momentarily before picking up the steaming cup to head into his room.

* * *

After a quick shower and dressing in a light T-shirt and boxers, Alfred found himself back on his bed, cradling the now lukewarm cup of tea in his large hands while looking up through his skylight. His dimmed room allowed the star-filled sky to twinkle brightly back at him, making quite a splendid scenery. However just like the previous nights, he just didn't have the heart to appreciate it. Instead he focused his attention back to the black tea he made. He took his time to sip the beverage until the cup was empty. Each sip he took warmed him to the core just as he remembered it to be...each intake contained that perfect level of sweetness he loved when he was little. Those were the wonderful times Arthur was always smiling and laughing with him while telling him those fairytales that always captured his fascination and fueled the sparkle in his eyes.

But bitterness started to rear its ugly head as Alfred delved further into his later memories. What Arthur said in those stories never came true. For that moment, he felt as if he was that young colony, futilely awaited for Arthur's return which was never fulfilled until much later...the long wait coupled with Arthur's absence had made him believe that they were all lies...

'In the end, it was so stupid at that time to think my childish wish would ever come true...this is all your fault, Arthur!' Alfred's fingers tightly clenched the empty cup, feeling an uncharacteristically angry frustration towards the elder nation, 'You said that if I made my own magic at the right time, it would work the way I want it to! I wanted you to see the sky the way I do and then you'd come and visit again!'

The depressing ache in his heart slowly overrode the initial warmth from the tea he recently drank.

"God damn it! I was all alone! You weren't there for me after all! You lied to me! Your stupid fairytales gave me false hope and you said you can do magic when you actually can't!"

He felt his eyes sting and hot moisture building up in the corners of his eyes.

"Why didn't you come to me?! Didn't I matter to you?!"

His bespectacled eyes flashed in a momentarily cold glint...

"You liar! I hate you!"

After his rant, his anger towards Arthur quickly faded as it appeared. He sighed shakily, feeling his body sag and wrecked with guilt for thinking and saying such horrible things about the nation he loved...no, he never hated him...he couldn't even if he tried to. The island nation could get on his nerves at times and he was a lot of fun to tease and infuriate but Alfred could never ever loathe him...it really wasn't the island nation's fault for making him feel this way...

'Then again...I was so naive and foolish to believe all of those fairytales in the first place...so it was my fault to begin with...' he fought the growing lump in his throat, sighing dejectedly. His fingers fell limp and the cup rolled uselessly onto the comforter. He looked back up to the star-filled sky above him, "I was so stupid..."

It was what he saw next that caused the tears he held back to flow down his cheeks. A shooting star darted across the night sky. It would've excited any normal person to see it shoot across the sky but to Alfred, it seemed to glow in a menacing aura...

"Damn you, shooting star! Why can't you just leave me alone?!" Alfred shouted hoarsely at the night sky, "Quit mocking me for what I can't and won't ever get!"

He roughly activated the lever to shut the skylight's panes with a loud slam. His bedroom was immediately encased in darkness and dancing shadows. Alfred flopped down onto his bed and curled up in a fetal position, pressing his damp face against his knees and wrapping his arms against his head to keep it there. It was a failed attempt to stamp out the tears as they leaked onto his knees.

"Damn it...why can't I get over it..."

He knew very well what memory he was referring to...it was the one where he finally let go of his broken dreams and his misguided faith in the stars when his gift to his brother to bring stars to him ultimately failed...

* * *

_Alfred dreamt of the night he slept within Arthur's tender embrace when he encouragingly told him he could create his own magic with his own two hands...warm whispered words drifted in and out of his little ears, containing the strong voice of his big brother..._

_"I'm sure that you'll be able to call magic to your fingers when you need to, my lad..."_

_The child nation nearly wept when he felt soft and warm lips pressing on his temple and a nose brushing against his hair..._

_"But now, it's time to wake up..."_

_'No...don't wanna...' the child nation curled up in the warmth cocooning him._

_"Wake up, Alfred...wake up..."_

_Sky blue eyes blinked open and Alfred was greeted by bright sunshine and tweeting of sparrows. He pushed himself off the wooden floor, looking a bit disoriented...feeling a bit sore on his side...but most of all, confused on why he was covered with wax, sitting on a hole-filled blanket with stars of various sizes spread around him. Upon seeing the stars, yesterday's memories came rushing back in a flash. _

_"Arthur...that's right! I'd better start cleaning up and hide the blanket before he comes back to visit me again!"_

_Alfred hurriedly scrambled off the blanket to pack away his crayons and scissors. The next thing he did was to carefully fold up the blanket, which surprisingly remained quite intact despite the many star-shaped holes left behind. He couldn't bear to throw it away because the blanket did look kind of lovely with its strange new pattern and it could be a nice additional present for his big brother. He hid it on the bottom of the pile of blankets, confident that Arthur wouldn't find since it was so thin and barely noticeable except to his own eyes. He could always retrieve it later to make it prettier._

_Satisfied with its new hiding place, the child nation searched for a container to place the stars he created and discovered an old hat box with its ribbon still intact in one of the cupboards. He opened the lid and began scouring the floor to collect the strewn fabric stars. Slowly but surely, the box filled to the brim and Alfred felt proud of his accomplishment. _

_"This is my special time now, isn't it?" Alfred spoke softly to himself as he dropped the final star into the container to join its many companions. Then he closed the lid and tied the ribbon into a bow on top of it, "My special time for my magic to make my wish come true..."_

_Safely placing the precious gift aside, Alfred quickly went to the bathroom to clean himself up to get rid of the wax stains and change into a fresh set of clothes and shoes. He felt very certain that his wish would come true this time...he made his own magic so it was sure to work...now he just had to wait until nighttime came..._

* * *

_Alfred hefted himself onto the windowsill and swung his legs at the ledge. The twinkling stars filled the clear night sky wonderfully as always. But the child nation wasn't focused on the wondrous night scene. His attention was solely placed on the precious gift he held onto his swinging lap. His eyes peeled out for anything that moved on the horizon...for that familiar silhouette to come up over the hill and call his name..._

_'I wonder whether Arthur will come soon...I hope that he gets here while I still remember...' Alfred shuddered at the thought of Arthur forgetting him; it was the most terrible fear that always made him cry inside and out...the lonely days were slowly getting to him, sapping him of his happy spirits. But he clung onto that tiny sliver of hope and the love he had for his big brother...he would come...'I'm sure he's on his way...'_

_As the night wore on and the crickets began their singing in the night, Alfred continued to embrace his gift even though he tried hard to ignore the dreadful stony feeling in his stomach that everything would turn out wrong. He looked down at the closed lid of his present...willing and praying that his magic would work just like Arthur said it would...he felt that it was time to activate it...and hopefully the stars he made would get to Arthur's skies and make him remember to come and visit him again..._

_"Okay, you guys...make sure that when you get to England, shine as bright as you can..." Alfred whispered softly, "Shine so bright so that Arthur can't forget me, okay?"_

_Up above Alfred, the stars continued to twinkle and dance across the sky..._

* * *

_Alfred had lost track on how many days...weeks...and even years had passed since he created that box filled with the stars he drew from crayons. Every night since then, he would sit on his windowsill, wishing fervently for the lifeless star-shaped pieces of fabric stored inside to become real stars back in England's cloudy skies so that Arthur would come back to him and make his wish come true._

_But as the seasons arrived and departed on cue, the dregs of reality began to sink into the young nation's mind. He began to feel embarrassed on this...childish endeavor he created. He felt silly on the notion that he could make real stars out of fake ones. Everything and anything magical to him now seemed a waste of time and a pack of false hopes and outrageous lies. Gradually Alfred stopped opening his windows to look out at the starry sky and to see whether Arthur would arrive for a visit. He got the letters to prove that...they were the perfect substitute to lift his false hopes of his brother's next visit. The box of stars was later stashed in the linen cupboard collecting dust and the hole-ridden blanket never moved from the bottom of the blanket pile._

_'I'm not going to waste my time on stars ever again...' Alfred thought dismissively as his hands reached for the windowpanes and bolted them shut once the sun sank over the horizon. The tiny hands that once held chunky crayons and crumbly star cookies were now bigger with long strong fingers, capable of wielding a rifle and tools. His youthful face lost some of the baby fat and bore a grim smile. His sky blue eyes no longer flashed with the full naive gleam they once had, 'There's no such thing as that kind of magic...'_

_Like any other child, Alfred grew up and his priorities changed. He recalled Arthur's last words on his previous visit..._

_"I'll come visit you again...until then, Alfred...grow up and become strong, okay?"_

_'That's what I'll do...I'll become a big and strong country just like Arthur wants me to be...' _

* * *

_One day, Alfred was about to go hunting when he heard something heavy being dragged across the sandy ground. Looking up to find the source, he found himself grinning yet his heart breaking when he saw the person he longed to see finally arriving._

_"Alfred! Are you there?! I've come to visit you again just like I promised!"_

_Indeed it was Arthur and he hadn't changed all that much since he last saw him. He was dragging what looked like to be a huge crate. Alfred grinned and shouldered his rifle as he made his way to his brother._

_"Hey, Arthur!"_

_He watched in amusement when Arthur's face turn baffled before exploding in a stuttering fit. It was quite a funny sight to see the island nation with a blank surprised look on his face, his quivering finger pointing up at him. It was then the young nation noticed and realized that he had grown taller than his big brother...well, Arthur didn't look so big anymore...in fact, he look kind of...well...cute in a way and it made Alfred grin._

_"Wha-?! Huh?! You! You're big...huh?!"_

_"What's wrong, Arthur? You're making a weird face," Alfred was starting to feel just a bit nervous but he hid it behind a teasing carefree smile. He also relished the surprised look still plastered on Arthur's face, 'I must look so big and strong that I stunned him...so it must be a good thing...'_

_Alfred brushed past Arthur to lift the tall crate with ease and carry it into his house. After all, he was curious on what his brother brought for him. Arthur followed him, still in a surprised stupor..._

* * *

_It took a while for Arthur to get over the shocking changes in his once little colony but eventually the two nations settled in their routine and caught up with each other's news. The sovereign nation now saw that he would need more frequent visits to teach Alfred new and important matters a nation should know and to replace his wardrobe with better clothing. At this development, Alfred should've been ecstatic that Arthur was going to have to spend more time with him. Yet he felt an unexplainable change in the air...everything was going to be different between them from the way they would address to each other and the type of activities they would do together. He didn't like the increasing tense feeling in his stomach and it scared him...after all, he was still young; a child trapped in a grown up body. But he didn't let it show...he was a big and strong country with no use for immature things. Speaking of immature things, Alfred knew that he had something important to do. On that early evening, while Arthur was busy preparing dinner, he caught the young nation carrying something in his hands._

_"Alfred? Where're you going with that dirty box?"_

_Alfred stilled at the curious voice and toothily smiled back at his mentor, "Just needed to throw away some rubbish. I'll be back in a moment!"_

_The toothy grin disappeared as soon as he exited the house and his eyes took on a more depressing aura. His feet carried him down to the nearby small stream that was only a few steps away from the back gate. He was momentarily mesmerized by the sparkling babbling water before he returned to the task at hand. He opened the lid and found himself staring at the cutout stars, the bits of crayon staining the edges. With a solemn frown, he tipped the contents into the stream watching with entranced eyes as each star gently descended on the flowing water to be washed away by the seemingly swift current. It brought a fleeting sense of comfort to him...now he felt cleansed...he was going to replace his embarrassing childish past with beautiful brand new memories. Arthur would never know of his silly gift and the grief he suffered in his absence...that was the past. He needed a fresh start to life..._

_"Goodbye..."_

* * *

_That night, the house was quiet and Alfred sat alone in his bedroom, his door locked from the inside. Now that he was grown up, he didn't need Arthur to keep him company at bedtime...instead he was staring intently at the object crumpled in his hands: the royal blue blanket with the star-shaped holes. He wondered why he didn't remember to throw it away too. Back then, he had meant to keep it as a second gift because the blanket itself did look like a beautiful starry sky...but what use would it be if Arthur wouldn't accept such a childish present from him..._

_"I should throw it away too...what good is an old hole-ridden blanket anyway..."_

_But Alfred didn't relinquish his grip as much as he wanted to do. Instead his body betrayed him as he pressed the cloth against his burning eyes. His tears seeped into the fabric. _

_Alfred felt strangely more alone than before and Arthur seemed to be further out of his reach despite being in the same vicinity..._

* * *

Alfred laid still in bed as the flashback of that particularly melancholy memory ended. By then his eyes felt sore and his cheeks were blotched with tears. He slid his glasses off his face to place them on the bedside table and felt for the cup rolling near his knees to put it on the floor.

"Come to think of it...where did it go?"

From that flashback, he remembered about the blanket. Right up to his final days as Arthur's colony, each attempt to discard it only reinforced its purpose to became his sole companion to dry his tears whenever he felt like crying. He always hid it well so that Arthur wouldn't mock at his weakness. But now he had truly forgotten where it went after all this time...a nagging feeling in his gut told him it was somewhere in the house...

"I probably should go look for it and get rid of it once and for all..."

But the superpower nation found he couldn't make his tired body budge an inch. All the depressing thoughts and crying coupled with all the cleaning and shopping he had done during the day made him feel drained and exhausted. Not to mention that powerful orgasm he had with Arthur in his mind...

"I'll worry about that later...Arthur will be here tomorrow so..."

Alfred yawned and sank back against the plush comforter, not bothering to properly nestle in the sheets. He draped an arm over his sore eyes and promptly succumbed to fatigue. A longing sigh escaped his lips.

"Arthur..."

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**Author's notes:** I feel strangely cleansed after writing this part...now the rest of the story should come together now. I'll be able to tell how long the actual story is after writing the next part. And since Easter Sunday is coming up, I just might be able to squeeze in another chapter and upload it by end of Sunday/Monday at the latest! Until then, I'll be seeing you! Please leave reviews and constructive criticism because that's what feeds writers :)


	6. So Near Yet So Far

**Author's notes: **Hello, **Happy Easter to you all** and here is a brand spanking new chapter :) This is a sort of a filler chapter as I'm trying to make the plot coherent enough but I can tell you this: there will be two more chapters after this...and I promise the next chapter is going to be worth the wait, but let's read on, shall we?

**Warnings!: **There will be **DOUJIN PLOT SPOILERS** in this story and did I mention there will be **YAOI** in this? That is the reason for the M rating :) but you will have to wait for the later chapters for the yummy bits to arrive. There will be angst but mostly hurt/comfort, fluff, romance and this is an obvious USUK pairing :) possible OOC for both main characters as I'm interpreting their characters from the doujinshi while putting a bit of my head canon in this. **This is an M-rated chapter because of well...there are mentions of a _wet dream_ and _masturbation_ in this chapter and the yummy part will come in the next chapter...**

**Story notes: **This plot is based on USUK doujinshi _Negai Hoshi_, hence the warning for the plot spoilers. If you read anything that you don't recognize from the doujinshi, that would be my work as I'm trying to create some background context from the source to make sense of the plot. Each chapter will begin with a song verse of inspiration to give the idea of what mood it'll create. Flashbacks and dream sequences will be italicized. This whole thing is confirmed to be 8 chapters long :)

**Disclaimer: **After some research, I find that all credit of the overall plot, the art and portrayal of the characters of _Negai Hoshi_ goes to** C Wawa** (I hope I spelled correctly). And thank you to **monobuu jeom** (I hope I spelled correctly and stupid formatting refused to add in certain symbols) for the translation otherwise I wouldn't know how the story went :) The due credit of the timeless song of _When You Wish Upon A Star_, made immortalized in the movie Pinocchio, goes to the brilliant Leigh Harlene and Ned Washington for composing it and to Cliff Edwards for the warm rendition that we know so well...

* * *

**When You Wish Upon A Star**

**Chapter 6: So Near Yet So Far**

**Warning!:** Mentions of a wet dream and more masturbation...

* * *

**Verse of Inspiration:**

Fate is kind...

She brings to those who love...

The sweet fulfillment of secret longing...

~ _When You Wish Upon A Star_, featured in "_Pinocchio"_ by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

* * *

"_Where am I..."_

_Alfred felt the balmy breezes against his cheek as they ruffled his hair. What he saw miles around was golden wheat-colored grass with some wildflowers weaving in between a random yet wonderful pattern...it felt familiar somehow...the whole scene made him feel warm and at home..._

_"Alfred...Alfred..."_

_"Arthur?" Alfred's heart skipped at the soft tone of the other's voice and looked around trying to locate the source, "Where are you?"_

_"I'm right here..."_

_As if it was magic, he found the British nation standing on a shallow hill. His tousled golden blonde hair swayed across his pink cheeks and the emerald green eyes crinkled with hidden joy, matching the happiness radiating on his face. Arthur smiled beatifically as he held out his arms invitingly._

_"Come to me, Love..."_

_Alfred found himself smiling back as he sprinted up the hill, brushing the grass impeding his path aside until he reached his destination. He embraced the smaller nation in his arms, twirling him around easily given his lithe build. Arthur clung onto his neck tightly, his smile growing wider as he leaned his forehead against his. Alfred felt his heart brim with warmth and his eyes water tenderly as he felt the pale hands softly cupping his cheeks and wiping his tears away._

_"I love you, Arthur...so much..." Alfred whispered as he leaned into the comforting touch._

_"I love you too, Alfred..." the island nation pressed his lips on the shell of Alfred's ear to his temples and finally on his lips as he combed the sandy locks._

_They ended up rolling in the grass, playfully fighting for dominance until Alfred pinned Arthur to the ground. The island nation laughed jovially as the younger started to tickle his sides; a rare and painfully beautiful sight to behold..._

_"Got you..." Alfred whispered triumphantly as he cradled Arthur close and pressed his nose against his forehead, breathing in his heavenly scent._

_"And you have all of me, Alfred..." Arthur craned his neck to kiss his cheek, his hot breath tickling his red tinged skin, "...I need you...God, I need you."_

_Alfred sank his teeth into the pale swan-like neck, earning a needy whine in return. He slowly unbuttoned the older nation's shirt, exposing his chest. He bent down to kiss a dusky nipple, causing Arthur to arch into his mouth, "Anything you want, Sweetheart..."_

_With their clothes lost to the wind, the two nations bathed in each other's sultry warmth. Their naked bodies slowly coated in sweat as their hips ground against each other. Arthur moaned softly as he looped his arms around Alfred's neck and wrapped his legs around his hips. He threw his head back against the ground as Alfred settled in between his spread legs and cupped his buttocks to massage them. There was a moment of tension as Alfred sheathed himself into Arthur with a heavy content sigh. _

_"Alfred..." Arthur gasped as he felt Alfred kissing the tears gathering in his eyes, "Give me a minute..."_

_"I know, Sweetheart. It'll get better. You feel so good...oh God..." Alfred cupped the face below him and kissed his forehead, "You're perfect...shhh..."_

_After comforting the elder nation with gentle coos, he began to rock the both of them to an unspoken compromising rhythm. Breathless moans, echoed sighs and loving whispers asking for more were all they could hear in the serenity bathing them. Arthur released one of his arms to grip a strong bicep, whereupon Alfred reached for his hand to interlock his fingers with his. The island nation's aroused look on his flushed face was mesmerizing...his green eyes darkening with love and desire...the seductive whisper of his name dancing into his ears...they were enough to send Alfred over the edge, which in turn triggered Arthur's climax as their bodies tensed before shuddering and collapsing together among the crushed grass and wildflowers._

_Alfred cuddled the smaller built nation close to his chest as he weaved a crown of wildflowers into Arthur's messy golden blonde hair._

_"Arthur...I never want to leave your side..." Alfred kissed Arthur's forehead, tasting the sweat gathered near the hairline. _

_"And I feel the same, Love..." Arthur said softly as he kissed his chest in return. It was then Alfred saw something silvery trickling down his cheeks and his shoulders were trembling._

_"Sweetheart? What's the matter?" Alfred tipped his chin and found to his horror that Arthur was crying, "Why are you crying?"_

_"As much as I want us to be together, you have to wake up...I can't be with you like this..."_

_"Huh...but..." Alfred felt the ache acting up in his heart. He had never felt this devastated in his life. He gripped the other's hands tightly, praying what he heard was wrong, "I'm finally here with you, Arthur...why are you pushing me away?!"_

_Arthur's eyes were sad yet they were filled with something that he knew that Alfred didn't. He dislodged his hands from the larger ones and sat up._

_Alfred grabbed onto the thin wrist, his face filled with pleading, "Don't go. I won't leave you ever again. I promise! Just stay with me!"_

_The island nation shook his head while he cupped a tanned cheek with his free hand. He brushed the younger's cheek with the back of his fingers gently, "I'm sorry but you have to wake up, Love. When you do, I'll be there waiting for you..."_

_"But-"_

_Alfred felt his pulse race when Arthur was suddenly nowhere to be to seen. His hand that gripped the pale wrist met with air._

_"Arthur!"_

_The only trace that Arthur existed was the body imprint left on the crushed grass and the stray wildflowers he placed in the golden hair floated to the ground. The young nation's body trembled with heaving sobs and his heart broken into shards. The tears fell down his cheeks, raining the grass crushed in his fist..._

_"Arthur! Don't leave me!"_

* * *

"Arthur!"

Alfred opened his eyes as he shot up from the bed, panting harshly and eyes burning with hot tears. It felt so real and the longing pain intensified in his aching heart. Why did such a beautiful dream have to end with such gut wrenching torment...to tease him so cruelly and make him weep pitifully?

"Fuck...is this what I'm going to get for hoping for the unattainable?"

He clutched the fabric of his t-shirt where his heart was still pounding hard. He willed it to slow down with some success. It was then he noticed and felt another problem in his groin. He looked down to his boxers and groaned in frustration to find he was hard, judging from the huge tent stretching the cotton material and the wet stains dotting the garment. He whimpered as the trapped organ throbbed with sexual heat.

"Shower...need a shower..." Alfred fumbled for his glasses and stumbled to the bathroom, slamming the door shut with a bang.

* * *

Alfred entered the glass cubicle without removing his clothes and turned on the shower head. He doused himself unforgivingly in an endless stream of freezing cold water in an effort to diminish the heat coursing through his tense body. But the dream was still fresh in his mind and he certainly couldn't forget how Arthur felt like within his arms and how he responded to his lovemaking...dream or not.

Alfred thumped his forehead against the marble tiles, gritting his teeth in frustration before sinking to the floor onto his knees. He looked down at his growing erection as it twitched in its cotton prison, hardly affected by the cold shower. Unable to ignore his growing need for release, he pulled down his wet boxers, releasing the heated organ and pumped in fast and tight strokes while using the other to caress his balls in his palm. The cold water didn't matter to him anymore...he was far too engrossed to feel the chill raining harshly on his back. He felt the familiar tightness and scorching heat centering in his groin. In amidst the rough play, his mind recollected the snippets of the beautiful dream he had. His hand moved faster...his cock grew a bit harder...swelling more...the head glistening with precum...the balls were tight at the base...he was so close. Alfred bit his lip as he squeezed his balls and swiped his palm over the red dripping tip, knowing that it would help reach his orgasm.

"Shit! Arthur!"

Alfred panted haggardly as the thick white cum shot from his cock to stain the marble files before him. His body tensed and relaxed in rhythm as he rode out the sexual tension emanating in his veins. He watched the sticky mess slide down the slippery surface in globs for a while before standing up on shaky legs in order to turn on another dial for warm water, no longer able to withstand the freezing temperature now that he had come done from his high. Alfred removed his soaked clothes and washed his body to rid the evidence of his release.

'I just hope I don't do anything stupid...' Alfred thought as he shampooed his hair, 'I'd better find something else to distract myself before he gets here.'

* * *

Alfred managed to calm down and keep himself well-occupied after his shower. After changing into a long sleeved hoodie with long sweatpants, he had double-checked Arthur's guest room and found no traces of the garlic stench. He took away the air freshener and put it into Kiku's room to give it a mild fragrance. Next, he dumped all of the dirty bed linen and his soaked clothes into the washing machine and started it up before making himself some coffee and went outside to enjoy the fresh air and the late-morning sunshine in his large garden.

As he sipped the bitter beverage, he was reminded of the amiable times he had with Toris when he stayed as his housekeeper, making him smile at the fond memories. The meek Lithuanian nation was pleasant company to be with, a hard and conscientious worker and he always made his coffee the way he liked it. He was one of the rare individuals besides his brother, Matthew to see his vulnerable side. It was too bad that he had to send Toris back to Russia when the Great Depression hit him hard and he hadn't seen much of the other nation since then. But it was good that he managed to re-engage contact with the shy nation on one of his birthday parties in the present time.

'Maybe I should give him a call one of these days to see how he's doing...' Alfred made a reminder on his iPhone, which prompted him to check the time and coming to the realization that the sounds of the washing machine had died down, "Noon already? Huh...my mug's already empty...better get going..."

Alfred took the empty mug and went back inside his house to put the wet things into the dryer. He still had 3 more hours to kill before Arthur's arrival.

* * *

Alfred took a quick lunch at a nearby cafe. He was not in his usual mood for fast food and instead settled for a ham baguette and a fruit smoothie. Then he busied himself in searching through the games he hadn't played in a while until he decided to replay Halo 4 on the XBox 360 to kill time. Before long, the grand clock in the hallway bonged three times and he thought he heard the doorbell ring followed by a few knocks. He paused the game to make sure he wasn't hearing things. Was Arthur here already?

For his answer, more insistent and louder knocks banged on the front door, "Alfred?! You'd better be on the other side of the door! I'm tired of waiting out here! Open up!"

"Arthur!"

His bespectacled eyes immediately brightened with excitement. Arthur was finally here! He dropped the controller and bounded for the locked front door. After unlocking the door and swinging it open, he found the older nation with his arms crossed and tapping his foot impatiently with a condescending look in his green eyes, his carry-on luggage situated next to him.

"Well, it's about time you opened the bloody door. I could-ACK!" Arthur had no time to finish his sentence when he was suddenly swept in a bone-crushing hug, lifting him a foot from the ground, "What are you doing, you imbecile?! Put me down this instant!"

"Nuh uh, dude! You haven't been here in like forever so the least I get is a hug from you!" Alfred shook his head with a wide grin threatening to split his face in half. He was genuinely happy to see Arthur again.

"How can it be a hug when you are crushing me to death?! Let go of me! You're squeezing my insides into a pulp, hurting my back and I can't breathe!"

"Oh sorry, sorry!" Alfred immediately loosened the tight hold and placed the smaller nation back on the ground but he didn't relinquish his hug, "Is this better?"

Arthur sputtered for a while before relaxing in the young nation's hold as he nuzzled his face against his shoulder. He gave a one-armed hug back as his other arm was trapped between their chests, "I suppose...but I'm glad to see you're doing well..."

"Me too, Artie, but about you," Alfred savoured the touch of Arthur's slim body against his own, feeling glad that with Arthur's head against his shoulder he couldn't see how red his own face was becoming.

"I am not Artie, Alfred," Arthur pulled back first to retrieve his luggage. Alfred mentally whined at the loss of contact, "Now are you going to let me in or not?"

Alfred led the British nation upstairs, taking his luggage from him. He felt a bit smug when he saw the minute nods of approval and a faint whisper of 'not bad at all'. Arthur stepped forward to open the door of the guest room.

"Huh...it's like it never happened..." Arthur commented as he looked around the guest room, his green eyes holding some pleasant surprise as he surveyed the neat room before him. He took a whiff of the air, "Roses and pine? Hmm...almost feels like home."

'Man, he's got an avid nose...' Alfred thought to himself as he placed the luggage next to the bed, "I hope it means that you are grateful for all the hard work I did to make your room clean and comfortable."

"I give credit where it's due and deserved. I do appreciate your efforts, Alfred. On the whole, it's...uhm...passable," Alfred deadpanned at the response but he could have sworn he saw the pale cheeks turn a tickled pink. But Arthur turned his head quickly before he had a chance to see it further. The elder nation loosened his tie and took off his jacket, "It's been a long flight so I need to freshen up."

"Oh sure, you can use my bathroom. I'll be downstairs to set up my PS3 for the movies," Alfred retrieved a fresh towel from the linen cupboard and gave it to Arthur before heading to the stairs, "Don't take too long, Artie!"

"Shut it, you idiotic git! It's Arthur!" the door slammed behind him.

'And thank God I cleaned it up beforehand...'

* * *

After a hot shower, Arthur changed into his home clothes and a light cardigan, he took one of his novels he brought with him for the trip and made his way downstairs to find Alfred sitting on the couch all ready to go, rocking back and forth on his bottom. Fighting back a chuckle at Alfred's lack of patience, he sat down beside his former colony with the pile of blankets as the barrier between them and placed his book on the side table. He wrinkled his nose in slight disgust at the plethora of junk food presented on the table before them. There were several bags of chips, a few bottles of fizzy drinks, some candy bars and a huge bowl of popcorn at the ready. But what stood out from all the junk food was a lone bowl of licorice all-sorts and a teacup full of steaming black tea placed before him. Arthur looked at Alfred with a quizzical look on his face and found him looking back at him shyly...

"It's the least I can do for you to come over on such short notice and so uhm...yeah...there's still some more in my coffee plunger..."

Arthur felt his heart warm and ache at the same time at the considerate gesture and shy look on the handsome young face. He was reminded of the golden days when Alfred was still his sweet innocent little colony who was always hungry for his loving affection and his adorable habit of making little gifts to lift his spirits. The island nation took the teacup and sipped the hot liquid, finding it to his surprise that it was made the way he liked it, save for the slight aftertaste of residue coffee. That's the peril of using a well-used coffee plunger to make tea. Alfred offered a hopeful grin in return.

"You like it? Is it okay?"

"It's fine, Alfred. Thank you," Arthur nodded and smiled back a bit. He had no idea how that tiny smile sent a shiver down the young nation's spine, "So...shall we get started?"

"Hell yeah!"

* * *

The two nations decided to watch two James Bond movies of Arthur's choice followed by _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ since the number of James Bond movies greatly outnumbered the Indiana Jones movies. Arthur had particular favorites from the selection. In the end, they decided to go with _Goldfinger_ and _Tomorrow Never Dies_ to start. They lied back against the couch as Alfred helped himself to the snacks on the table while Arthur continued drinking and refilling his tea and nibbled on the licorice all-sorts. Although Alfred did enjoy the action-packed fighting and car chase sequences and had to admit that James Bond was pretty cool in the smart suits and gadgets, he still thought that Indiana Jones was miles better with his whip-wielding skills and his encyclopedic knowledge of ancient relics. But every now and then, he would steal a glance at the older nation who was deeply engrossed in the films. His green eyes took on excited gleam and his chest tensed with bated breath when James Bond would make a near-escape from the villain's nefarious traps. It was quite a cute sight.

Little did Alfred know that he was being observed the same way by Arthur when it came to watching _Raiders of the Lost Ark_. Arthur by then had finished his tea and had went through half of the sweets in the bowl. Alfred was really absorbed in the film as the thundering music and sound effects blasted from the flat TV screen. Arthur inwardly chuckled at the sight of Alfred cowering behind a throw pillow the first second when Indiana Jones was in some life threatening situation and then cheering boisterously when he saved himself at the last minute.

'So much like a child...but then...' Arthur resisted the urge to reach out and run his fingers through the sandy blonde locks and he was sure that if he looked any longer, he would get sucked into those beautiful bespectacled blue orbs, 'He's not so little anymore...'

* * *

The two nations sighed as the credits started to roll across the screen. The table was now strewn with plastic wrappers and packets and empty bottles along with two empty bowls and a drained teacup.

"Hmmmm...that was fun!" Alfred stretched himself like a cat, wincing when he felt his stiff shoulders protest.

"Indeed..." Arthur rolled his neck to get rid of the kinks, "What time is it now anyway?"

For their answer, their stomachs began to growl in hunger. Alfred looked out one of the windows. It was dark outside.

"It's dinner time, Artie. Hey, let's have Chinese takeaway," Alfred grabbed his iPhone and began dialing the number, "Anything in particular you want?"

Arthur let the nickname slide since he was a bit too hungry to retaliate. He thought for a while. It did sound better than stale pizza and greasy burgers any time.

"Then I'll have two portions of steamed shrimp dumplings and one portion of crispy spring rolls, please."

* * *

"Ah, that hit the spot!"

Alfred let out a huge belch to emphasize his satisfied appetite. Arthur sighed and shook his head in exasperation as he finished the last of his meal demurely. He watched Alfred tidying up the table and taking away the empty paper cartons, plastic containers and disposable wooden chopsticks.

"Honestly, Alfred...you are such a pig, my manners have not rubbed off on you at all. What you did was just atrocious!" Arthur griped, "At least cover your mouth when you make those terrible noises!"

"Ha ha ha ha, you're such a fussy old man, Artie!"

"I am not! And it's Arthur, git..."

"Hey, why don't we take a bit of a break from the movies for a while? We still got tons to watch into the night so it'll do us good for a bit of R and R."

Arthur calmed down somewhat and went back to the living room, "That is a quite sound suggestion. Alfred, you can go ahead...I have been meaning to finish off this novel for some time..."

"Hold on a sec. I'm just gonna get my PSP Vita."

Arthur listened to the pounding footfalls as Alfred ran upstairs to retrieve his game console. He liked to curl up with a blanket wrapped around his legs as he read. It gave him a warm fuzzy feeling on his legs and his socked feet. He made himself comfortable on the couch and turned to the pile of blankets near him. But just as he reached for the top blanket, an old looking piece of folded fabric with strangely shaped holes caught his eye; it didn't fit with the rest of the new fluffy blankets in the pile. It looked like it was once coloured a rich navy blue as the pigment is relatively faded but not entirely lost. The worn out fabric felt cottony soft and had noticeably thinned in age. He carefully pulled out the blanket and unfolded it. To his surprise, the whole expanse of fabric looked like it had been shot through by a barrage of star shaped bullets...with waxed edges? Questions filled the elder nation's curious mind. What on Earth possessed his former colony to keep this old hole-ridden blanket for so long?

"Hey, Arthur! Sorry I took so long. I-"

Without turning around, he interrupted Alfred with his inquiry, "What is this, Alfred?"

Alfred screamed in horror as his response.

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**Author's notes: **Ah, cliffhangers...don't you just love them? (But it won't be a cliffhanger if there are some of you that already know the doujinshi...). Anyhoo...this is where Alfred could make or break in this current situation...let's find out next week, shall we? Until the next update!


	7. Swimming in a Sea of Stars

**Author's notes: **Finally! The yummy part is here :) My chapters seem to get longer and longer by the end...and the end is near! This will be by far the longest chapter I've ever written. But enough of me rambling on, let's get to it, shall we?

**Warnings!: **There will be **DOUJIN PLOT SPOILERS** in this story and did I mention there will be **YAOI** in this? That is the reason for the M rating :) but you will have to wait for the later chapters for the yummy bits to arrive. There will be angst but mostly hurt/comfort, fluff, romance and this is an obvious USUK pairing :) possible OOC for both main characters as I'm interpreting their characters from the doujinshi while putting a bit of my head canon in this. **This is an M-rated chapter because of USUK yummy YAOI love!**

**Story notes: **This plot is based on USUK doujinshi _Negai Hoshi_, hence the warning for the plot spoilers. If you read anything that you don't recognize from the doujinshi, that would be my work as I'm trying to create some background context from the source to make sense of the plot. Each chapter will begin with a song verse of inspiration to give the idea of what mood it'll create. This whole thing is confirmed to be 8 chapters long :)

**Disclaimer: **After some research, I find that all credit of the overall plot, the art and portrayal of the characters of _Negai Hoshi_ goes to **C Wawa** (I hope I spelled correctly). And thank you to **monobuu jeom **(I hope I spelled correctly and stupid formatting refused to add in certain symbols) for the translation otherwise I wouldn't know how the story went :) The due credit of the timeless song of _When You Wish Upon A Star_, made immortalized in the movie Pinocchio, goes to the brilliant Leigh Harlene and Ned Washington for composing it and to Cliff Edwards for the warm rendition that we know so well...

* * *

**When You Wish Upon A Star**

**Chapter 7: Swimming in a Sea of Stars**

**Warning!:** M rating for USUK yaoi...

* * *

**Verse of Inspiration:**

Like a bolt of the the blue

Fate steps in and sees you through...

When you wish upon a star

Your dreams come true...

~ _When You Wish Upon A Star_, featured in "_Pinocchio"_ by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Alfred shrieked in absolute humiliation the moment he saw the old blanket clutched in Arthur's hands. He felt the foreboding chills running up and down his spine. His hair stood on end as though he had been electrocuted. His nerves were frazzled and short-circuited. And he felt the sweat building up on his forehead and the shameful flush tingling his cheeks.

This felt worse than watching all of those horror movies that he loved and loathed to watch on dark nights. Arthur had discovered his childish and darkest secret and it was out in the open.

That was where it was all this time?! Why didn't he just throw the darn thing away with the first chance he got instead of keeping it to smother his blubbering?!

'Oh man...why did it have to happen now?! Why today of all days?!'

In other words, Alfred was in a royal pickle...

Meanwhile the island nation, seemingly unaffected by the sudden outburst, looked back at his former colony with an irritated glance. He gestured to the blanket still fisted in his hands, silently demanding an answer to the mystery behind it.

"Alfred, what the heck is this?" Arthur reiterated his question before adding some afterthoughts, 'And what did you scream for, you idiot...so stop it!'

"Ha ha ha! Yeah! What is that and I have no idea what it is?!" Alfred laughed heartily and acted as nonchalant as possible about the whole situation.

But Arthur looked like he didn't buy the overly cheerful and ignorant ruse since he was shooting a no-nonsense glare that didn't leave room for any more lying. Alfred had never felt so trapped. He was just like a fawn caught in the headlights or like a guilty kid whose hand was stuck in the cookie jar...

'Don't panic...don't panic...think of my PSP...' Alfred thought to himself as he stared at the PSP Vita still clutched in his hands. He noticed that they were trembling and starting to sweat. When he found he couldn't keep his cool, he dropped the console in favor of clutching his hair and sweating bullets, 'I'm panicking...I'm panicking! Why didn't I throw away that blasted blanket when I had the chance to!'

"What is wrong with you?" Arthur was getting irked at the younger nation's bizarre behavior. Why was he so hung up about this blanket?

Meanwhile Alfred was having a mental internal debate on how to handle this predicament he had gotten himself into.

'What do I do now?! How do I explain this?!' Alfred fumbled for an excuse, 'Christmas decorations?'

Alfred shook his head. All of this thinking was making his stomach queasy...and it didn't help with Arthur intently staring at him and waiting for his answer.

'Nah! He won't it buy it...I suppose I could just tell him the truth...' Alfred gulped as he thought about it. Definitely NOT a good idea, 'No no no...not a good idea...'

Alfred played out the scenario in his head and he didn't like what he envisioned. He imagined after telling Arthur the true nature behind the blanket, the elder nation would break out into smug snarky laughter, pointing his finger mockingly at him all the while insulting him.

"_You call this a masterpiece?! What a joke!_"

Alfred winced...this was what Arthur would say...and he couldn't bear to hear those cruel joking words...

'I had somehow managed to keep it hidden all this time...for so many years...if Arthur laughs at me now, it'll make things even worse!'

"Alfred?" Arthur was beginning to get concerned when Alfred fell silent. He watched curiously when the young nation suddenly strode up to him and took hold of a section of the blanket, "Huh?"

'I can't let that happen!' Alfred scrunched his eyebrows in determination and yanked the blanket as hard as he could away from Arthur's direction, "GIVE IT BACK!"

"Holy-!"

But what the American nation didn't count on was Arthur's equally strong grip on the blanket. As the blanket was yanked in a brief tug-of-war, Alfred's godly strength caused Arthur to crash against him. The hard impact caused them both to fall haphazardly onto the floor, their socked and slippered feet flailing behind them. The blanket, released from the grasp, fluttered above them like a cloud before covering the sprawled nations completely.

* * *

Alfred groaned in pain as he opened his eyes, willing for the throbbing ache to disappear from the back of his head.

"Ouch...ow...what a fall..." the superpower nation slowly sat up, his tall frame tenting up the blanket still covering them.

He looked down to see Arthur sprawled on top of him. Arthur was moaning softly, his cheek pressed against his leg and his hands clutching the front of his hoodie. Alfred's eyes widened in panicky concern as he quickly gathered the lithe nation to carefully roll him flat onto his back on the floor, "Oh Geez! Arthur! Sorry! Sorry! Are you okay?!"

Arthur winced and rubbed his temple before he scowled at Alfred.

"No, I am not, you wanker! What the hell are you doing?!"

But his intended heated lecture was cut off when he looked up above. The sight was too precious to ignore and it made the irritation from the fall melt away. The angry stare disappeared from his eyes only to replaced by mesmerizing wonder. Arthur began to laugh softly.

Alfred frowned suspiciously at the sudden change in Arthur's state. Why was he laughing when he was going to blow bollocks at him for making him crash and fall?

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Alfred questioned irritably.

"What an amazing sight..."

From Arthur's perspective, he could see the room's lights filtering through the star-shaped holes in the material, casting an ethereal...almost heavenly luminance against the dimmed shadows surrounding them. Alfred was towering over him...his handsome youthful beauty radiating to match the stars shining on his body...

"The room's lights are shining through...there...over your shoulder, Alfred...it looks like..."

Arthur's eyes softened tenderly and glowed gently just like the stars over his former colony's shoulder...

"It looks like a sky full of stars..." Arthur completed his thoughts, his voice deep and gentle, "The whole night sky..."

Alfred felt his breath catch at what Arthur said...it stirred up the early shameful childish memories he preferred to keep buried. Except this time, a sweet curling warmth ignited from within and spread through his body up to his face whereupon his cheeks were coloured a soft rouge. He gazed down at the prone British nation beneath him...he looked absolutely breathtaking...

"You too..."

Although Arthur looked a bit awkward in his current position and his soft expression changed to a wary one when he realized he was being stared at, the faded colour from the blanket casted an intensified shade of blue and the stars seemed to twinkle brighter than ever...drawing him into the never-ending depths. He felt like he was swimming in a sea full of stars and Arthur was the beautiful mystical merman who drew him in...just like those fairytale stories he heard and dismissed in his youth.

Alfred found himself leaning towards Arthur...there he saw it...the identical pink tinge coloring the older nation's cheeks...

"Wha...ha ha..." Arthur laughed nervously at the close proximity of the young nation's face close to his, "You're..."

"I...you look..." Alfred whispered in wonder, his cheeks heating up more...

"Absolutely..."

"Totally..."

"Beautiful..." both nations murmured the word together like a sacred prayer, their cheeks darkening further.

Closing his eyes, Alfred tentatively yet lovingly pressed his lips onto Arthur's. His heart cheered in unbridled joy when he felt the other's lips move against his, imploring him silently to continue the gentle caress. The kiss was tender and chaste...oh...Arthur's lips...they were so soft like rose petals. Alfred thought back on his original wish he wrote on the Tanabata festival just days ago.

_I wish my love for Arthur was returned..._

'My wish...it really came true...'

The need for oxygen was what broke the kiss as Alfred slowly drew away and opened his eyes slowly to find the elder nation mirroring his movements. Bathed in silence, they stared at each other, their soft heavy breathing the only sound they could hear. Alfred had to be sure...he just had to ask.

"Hey Arthur! Does this mean...do you...I mean even if you don't, I..." Alfred laughed nervously before clearing his throat to voice what he wanted to ask, "Do you like me?"

"Wha-?!"

Arthur's tender expression sharply transformed into one of angry incredulity and the blush had gotten redder. Alfred just ruined the serene mood between them. He thumped his fists on Alfred's chest as he yelled at him.

"You git! If I didn't like you, I wouldn't have let you to ki-kiss me!"

Alfred sighed and held out his hand to Arthur, "To be fair, you're the weird one so I wouldn't have known. Come on, I'll help you up."

"Sh-Shut up..." Arthur murmured but accepted his new lover's hand and allowed himself to be pulled onto his knees. But no sooner than that, he felt his breath knocked out of him as Alfred embraced him exuberantly.

"Excellent! We are totally together now!" Alfred exclaimed and knocked the blanket off their heads, causing it to pool around their bodies. He happily nuzzled against Arthur, hardly believing that his new lover was finally with him and reciprocated his feelings.

Alfred lightly shook him to get his lover's attention, a light grin brightening his now cheerful face.

"Hey, Arthur? Arthur?"

"Y-Yes...what is it..." Arthur felt pleasant shivers traveling down his spine as Alfred's hair brushed against his neck and collarbone...he could get used to this...

"Can I...can I kiss you again?" Alfred asked, his blue bespectacled eyes filled with pleading.

"Sure..." Arthur allowed himself to be pulled into the large nation's embrace as Alfred snaked his arms around his waist and pressed his lips against his. He moaned softly as he felt his lover's tongue brushing his teeth before gently touching his own tongue, "Mmm...ah...Alfred..."

"Hmm? What is it, Arthur?" Alfred broke away and looked at him questioningly.

"We can...uhm..." Alfred was surprised when Arthur looked at him with a sultry and shy expression on his red face, "We can do **that** too...if you want..."

"Woah..." the young nation's eyes widened, 'He is begging? He must be quite a pervert...'

But a devilish smile shaped Alfred's lips...he could finally sample the sweet fruit of his desires he yearned in his dream. He pressed his nose against the pale neck and inhaled deeply, causing the body in his arms to shudder and a sigh floating in his ears...there it was...that same sweet minty scent...with black tea...and roses. He felt Arthur stiffen and relax as he dared to sink his teeth in that soft pliant flesh. His heart sang as the island nation threw his head back with a passionate whisper of his name.

It was everything he dreamed and wished for...and more...

* * *

Alfred could feel the sweat starting to form on his body as he continued licking, kissing and biting the milky neck presented to him. He groaned softly when he felt the other's hands massaging his shoulders...up the nape of his neck...combing his hair, barely brushing against Nantucket...fingertips flexing into his scalp. But he wanted more...more of that alabaster skin to caress and worship. He pulled back and grinned at the picture he created. Arthur's flush has extended to his neck and collarbone, which was now riddled with bite marks and hickeys, his eyes darkening to emerald rings and his golden blonde hair messed up sexily. He was a wet dream come true...

"Finally...after so long..." Alfred whispered hotly, feeling the heat radiating in his groin.

"Alfred..." Arthur murmured as he pulled his lover for a sensual kiss, which Alfred enthusiastically reciprocated by shoving his tongue roughly into his mouth. The British nation mewled and tugged on his hoodie, his fingers fidgeting with excitement, "Take it off..."

"Only if you do the same too, Sweetheart..." Alfred winked and pulled the garment over his head in one swift movement. Arthur's mouth watered at the sight of Alfred's chiseled chest and muscled biceps as his hands roamed up and down his long arms before resting on his hips. He felt firm and strong...he could practically feel the power radiating from the young nation's veins. Alfred smirked at the approving look on Arthur's face, "Like what you see?"

"Be quiet, you idiot...don't ruin the...ah...ugh..." Arthur was unable to finish his sentence as Alfred interrupted him by kissing and mouthing his thick eyebrows, causing the older nation to moan softly as he felt that slithering tongue lingering across his eye ridges...

Alfred loosened the cardigan and unbuttoned his lover's top, spreading the garment apart to finally access the expanse of the pale chest. Just as he expected, Arthur's chest was as firm and slender as he envisioned it to be and he made out the criss crossing of the barely noticeable scars marring his skin. He splayed a large hand on Arthur's chest, his tanned fingers tracing the fine contours and feeling his heartbeat. Arthur breathed heavily as Alfred began to finger and pinch his nipples, causing him to rest his hazy head on his strong shoulder. The euphoria was spreading across his chest in tantalising waves as his nubs turned rosy and hard. Alfred left the eyebrows and kissed and licked the closest ear his lips could reach as he pushed the smaller nation onto the floor, but not before grabbing a throw pillow for Arthur to rest his head on. Arthur gripped the pillow in his hands as he felt Alfred's lips making their trail further south, his hands fiddling with the hem of his pants and boxers. The heat was licking in his stomach before spreading up to his fingers and down to his toes, the tingles threatening to overwhelm his sanity. He looked down to see Alfred ready to pull off his clothes, which he returned with a nod as his permission to continue.

Alfred licked his lips hungrily as he pulled down the loose pants and boxers at the same time to leave Arthur lower body bare and his socks still encasing his feet. He settled in between the pale legs and stroked his inner thighs, feeling the satin softness his fingers found. Arthur shuddered and pressed his half-hard erection against Alfred's covered one. He groaned when he felt calloused fingers wrapping around him, the fleeting touches caressing the tip with each stroke...it felt like Heaven...

"Oh...what are you doing to me...don't tease me like this..." Arthur whispered as he thrust his hips within that warm fist. He could feel himself grow harder and he whimpered when he felt Alfred's thumb dipping into the moist slit and a warm palm caressing and tugging his balls, "Ah...hah!"

"You're already so wet, Arthur..." Alfred murmured in fascination at the sight of a wanton half-dressed Arthur writhing beneath him. His fingers were getting sticky as the precum dripped from the reddening tip. Then he felt Arthur's hand reaching down and stroking his crotch through his sweatpants, making the young nation groan in surprise, "Ah! Uhm...Arthur?"

"Let me take a good look at you. It's only fair..." the elder nation nudged Alfred closer and pulled down the elastic bands of his pants and underwear, slipping them under his balls. Alfred's cock stood proud and tall, the tanned flesh throbbing in the cool air. Alfred shivered when Arthur's hand wrapped around the base and stroked him tenderly. He moaned and rolled his hips, feeling himself getting harder, "Mmmmm...you have grown a lot, lad..."

"Heh...looks like I'm bigger than you, old man..." Alfred teased as he lowered to align their groins and lightly thrust against Arthur, who moaned breathlessly at the warm sweet contact. He chuckled and kissed the smaller nation's cheeks sweetly, "And that means I get to top."

Arthur rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh but he gave another minute nod, given the current situation. He could always dominate Alfred another time; he was the almighty British Empire, for God's sake! But right now, he just wanted to finally consummate this growing love and lust for his former colony building inside of him. He cupped Alfred's face and carefully pulled off his glasses. He placed them out of their way so that they wouldn't be damaged. Now with the glass barrier out of the way, he could really see the true blue shade sparkling in his eyes. They were so open and so vulnerable...Arthur lowered the other head to gently place a kiss in between them, just at the top of the nose bridge.

"Your eyes are so blue, Alfred...so much like the sky..." Arthur smiled nostalgically, "They haven't changed after all these years..."

Alfred was stunned at those heartfelt words...he had heard them before...but coming straight from Arthur...the Arthur who loved him back meant so much to him.

But now, his body couldn't hold on much longer...he had waited so long for this moment, to finally claim the British nation as his own. As if reading his thoughts, Arthur took one of his hands and began to suck his fingers, laving them liberally with his saliva as his tongue traced each fingertip. After momentarily transfixed by the sexy sight, Alfred pulled them out of the wet mouth with a pop and began to trace them around the puckered anus that twitched upon his touch. He tried to remember what he saw on those gay porn sites he randomly browsed.

He nudged the fingers into the tightness one at a time and scissored them carefully. He observed Arthur's face. His thick eyebrows were creased and his sweaty face was pulled in a grimace. His strained gasps were extracted from his heaving chest and his fingers clenched tightly in the pillow beneath him. But what made Alfred anxious was the British nation's now soft cock laying limp on his lower stomach. He frowned, this wasn't supposed to happen; why was Arthur so tense that it made him less aroused than ever? He must had done something wrong. He was so wrapped up in his growing anxiety that he stopped completely.

Arthur noticed the worried frown on his lover's young face and tapped his wrist to get his attention. He did feel strange and uncomfortable, knowing that something larger would soon penetrate him. But he wanted this...to feel the nation who would always occupy the special place in his heart despite the heartbreak, the struggles and fights between them. He pulled Alfred's fingers deeper into his body, his muscles sucking the digits.

"Arthur?! What are you doing?!" Alfred's eyes widened, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"That's not very like you, Alfred...I thought you wanted to get into it, knowing your greedy nature..." Arthur tried to lighten the tension with a small smirk on his strained face. The digits were slipping in and out of his body more easily...and they were starting to feel good, "I'm fine, really..."

"Arthur...I don't want to hurt you..." Alfred's voice was meek and it made Arthur's heart melt at his innocent loving concern.

"Keep going, Alfred...you just need to find my-" Arthur was cut off by a high-pitched moan when Alfred's fingertips brushed it...that spot made his vision turn white and sizzling pleasure shooting up and down his spine, "There...oh...right there..."

"Here?" Alfred prodded the same spot, earning a nod in return. Alfred was elated that Arthur was feeling good. He must be because Arthur's erection grew half-hard again and his hips were humping onto his fingers.

"Enough, Alfred," Arthur spread his legs further apart, "I'm stretched enough as it is..."

"Arthur..."

Alfred tentatively removed his fingers from the twitching arsehole but resumed stroking his lover's erection, feeling the need to see him writhe in pleasure again to compensate for the pain he put him through. His wish was granted when Arthur keened with a whine and thrust his growing erection in his fist like before.

"Ah...Al-Alfred...oh..."

Alfred looked down at his lover and his heart jumped upon seeing the tears filling up in those half-lidded green irises despite the lustful expression on his face. Feeling the need to comfort his lover, Alfred entwined his fingers with him and pulled him up to seat him carefully on his clothed lap. Arthur gasped as he felt himself pressed against the larger body holding him like he was a precious porcelain doll. He blushed when he felt the younger's erection brushing against him.

"I'll be gentle so don't worry...you'll be fine, Arthur..." Alfred said soothingly as he hugged him tightly and ran his hands up and down his back, crumpling the material bunched around his shoulders. He kissed his neck and ear softly, "I'd die if I ever hurt you...not ever again..."

Arthur shook his head, looking a bit flustered, "No, Alfred...I'm not worried about me...it's just..."

Arthur cupped Alfred's face, gently combing the sandy locks framing his cheeks. His emerald green eyes softened with a tinge of sadness...

"For as long as I can remember, all we've ever done is fight and I'm used to the pain so I'll be fine in that regard...so you don't have to worry about hurting me at all..." Arthur's voice was filled with regret, apology and reassurance. He kissed his forehead, "But it's not all about that...I mean...you-you're crying so..."

"Huh?" Alfred didn't realize he was indeed crying until he felt Arthur's fingers delicately tracing his cheeks and pulled away to find teardrops on his fingertips. A long time ago, he cried because his dreams were broken by reality. Now he was crying again but this time it was because he truly felt joyful and his heart was finally whole, "Oh...I'm sure it's because I feel really happy, Arthur."

Arthur gave a watery chuckle and brushed his forehead against his, "Is that so, Love?"

"Yeah..." Alfred smiled genuinely as he kissed Arthur's nose. He brushed the back of his fingers against his cheek, "Are you ready, Sweetheart?"

Arthur nodded and held onto his arms that circled around his back, "I'm ready, Alfred...I want to feel you..."

Alfred nodded back in affirmation and lubricated his cock with the precum and sweat sticking to his skin. Grasping Arthur's slim hips, he lowered the British nation onto his erection. Arthur initially tensed upon the intrusion but relaxed when Alfred whispered sweet-nothings to him and feathered his face with tender kisses. Feeling braver, Arthur sank down to take in as much of his lover as he could before stopping. Breathless moans escaped Arthur's throat as he felt that wonderful hot flesh throbbing inside him. The pain burned his insides, threatening to split him in two...but oh...he felt so full...so alive...and complete. It was pure euphoria and he could feel his own erection twitching with want. Meanwhile Alfred relished the feel of Arthur's velvety warmth encasing him so wonderfully like a well-tailored glove. He had never imagined that Arthur felt this heavenly...so hot...wet...and so silken around him. Alfred guided the British nation to loop his arms around his neck and reached down to stroke his cock into full hardness to soothe him. Arthur hissed at the warm contact and felt himself grow hotter below...oh God, it felt so good...

"Alfred...don't let me go..." Arthur kissed his cheek as the tears in his eyes trickled down his face, "Ah! Uhn! P-Please...feels so good..."

"I won't, Arthur...even if I have to, I won't ever let you leave. You're mine..." Alfred said as he kissed away the tears. He held Arthur close like a precious treasure he wouldn't share with the rest of the world. He released Arthur's erection to anchor both his hands in Arthur's top garments, 'I finally have you with me...and I'll be damned if someone else looks at you the way I do...'

Alfred carefully gyrated his hips to initiate a slow rhythm. He bent Arthur slightly backwards so that he was fully cradled in his arms, which allowed him to plunge deeper into the smaller nation. Arthur cried out in lust as he felt the blunt trip grazing his prostrate. Alfred steadily upped the speed of his thrusts until he was pounding harder and deeper inside the twitching sweaty lover...Arthur didn't want his lover to stop.

"Alfred! Oh...right there...yes...ah...keep going," Arthur praised, his senses reeling from the aftershocks and the sensual rocking motions, "Alfred...you feel so full in me..."

"Arthur...dance for me...only I can make you feel this way..."

Alfred's face was set in hard concentration, full of intent to pour all the love and desire into the pliant body in his embrace with each well-aimed thrust. He felt the coil burning and tightening inside him. His tingling fingers clenched Arthur's cardigan and drenched top with each burst of sexual bliss coursing through him. His legs were tensed and the pants were chafing his sweaty skin. His toes curled in his socks and he felt Arthur's legs gripping his hips in a vice as his lithe body curled further in his arms...Arthur was close to release...and he himself was teetering at the plateau with him.

"Ah! Uhm...ah! I love you, Alfred! I want more! Please!" Arthur managed to blurt out in between the thrusts hitting his sweet spot, "What about you, Alfred?"

Alfred laughed incredulously at the silly question and his thrusts became more frenzied and out of rhythm, "Isn't it obvious?"

He felt Arthur's arse tightening around him as his lover's gasps and moans increased in volume and pitch and Alfred's own grunts and sighs grew more husky and gravelly. Feeling the strong need for release, Arthur released one of his arms to reach between their bodies and fondle his erection. The smaller nation hissed and threw his head back in rapture. His hand slid up and down the moist hardened organ with ease while he teased the rouge head that made him whimper in his throat. Alfred drooled at the sight of his lover getting himself off. The way his hips swayed while trying to keep his cock inside him as he played and teased himself, making his erection glossy and hard. A river of saliva slithered down from the corner of Arthur's mouth as he breathed heavily, the unbearable heat centered on his groin and arse. The sight was driving Alfred wild. Alfred couldn't resist to lick Arthur's cheek to get rid of the saliva, his heated breath dancing on his tingling skin.

"Alfred...Alfred..." Arthur moaned wantonly.

Alfred groaned in his throat at the way Arthur moaned his name...that was the trigger he needed to push his lover over the edge. They clenched their eyes tight and held onto each other as Alfred's hips picked up tremendous speed, thanks to his powerful stamina and strength in his legs keeping them upright. With each shuffling movement...cliched as it was...they began to see stars forming beneath their closed lids...glowing brighter...and brighter...until...

"I love you, Arthur!"

With that, Arthur succumbed to his orgasm as he arched his body with a yell to the ceiling. His erection pulsed in his fist as it ejaculated strings of pearly cum, staining the smaller nation's clothes and Alfred's bare stomach. Alfred thrust one...two...three more times before releasing into Arthur's shivering body with a garbled shout of Arthur's name, the former sighing in bliss when he felt the hot liquid filling him and hitting his sweet spot. They held onto each other, gasping harshly into each other's necks before pulling apart.

The two nations opened their eyes slowly, their irises sparkling like starlight, and stared at each other. Sated smiles tugged their lips as tender hands brushed damp strands of hair, their breathless chuckles echoing in the vicinity. Alfred cautiously lowered Arthur onto the floor as his aching legs and back were giving way. Then he reluctantly disconnected himself from Arthur, trembling from his orgasm. He laid on top of Arthur's heaving chest to rest his dizzy head. A pair of thin but strong arms embraced him, fingers slowly combing through his mussed-up hair and a loving kiss pressed on his sweaty forehead. In return, Alfred nuzzled against Arthur as he listened to his heartbeat thumping against the milky skin like a soothing song that only he could understand. Arthur was really here with him, embracing him like a lover just as he always dreamed of.

This was where he belonged...in Arthur's arms and in his heart.

This moment couldn't be more perfect...

_**To be concluded...**_

* * *

**Author's notes:** I feel so satisfied after writing this...now the ending part...I just hope I will do justice for it. Gosh it was so much fun writing this part since it's so near the end! One more chapter! I can do this...maybe some reviews and constructive criticism can help me along...next update coming up asap!


	8. A Prayer to a Shining Star

**Author's notes: **This is the end! Finito! I feel so accomplished to finally post the final chapter...I really hope you guys will like it, read on!

**Warnings!: **There will be **DOUJIN PLOT SPOILERS** in this story and did I mention there will be **YAOI** in this? That is the reason for the M rating :) but you will have to wait for the later chapters for the yummy bits to arrive. There will be angst but mostly hurt/comfort, fluff, romance and this is an obvious USUK pairing :) possible OOC for both main characters as I'm interpreting their characters from the doujinshi while putting a bit of my head canon in this.

**Story notes: **This plot is based on USUK doujinshi _Negai Hoshi_, hence the warning for the plot spoilers. If you read anything that you don't recognize from the doujinshi, that would be my work as I'm trying to create some background context from the source to make sense of the plot. Each chapter will begin with a song verse of inspiration to give the idea of what mood it'll create. For this chapter, song lyrics and a flashback within this chapter will be italicized to create the mood. This whole thing is confirmed to be 8 chapters long :)

**Disclaimer: **After some research, I find that all credit of the overall plot, the art and portrayal of the characters of _Negai Hoshi_ goes to **C Wawa **(I hope I spelled correctly). And thank you to **monobuu jeom **(I hope I spelled correctly and stupid formatting refused to add in certain symbols) for the translation otherwise I wouldn't know how the story went :) I thought to end this story on a sweet note with two song references, I decided to add in a verse from one of my favourite tender childhood songs from _Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird_, _One Little Star_...and to end it with the more positive note of _I'll Try_ by the wonderful Jonatha Brooke...

* * *

**When You Wish Upon A Star**

**Chapter 8: A Prayer to a Shining Star**

* * *

**Verse of inspiration:**

One little star...

Reaching far through the night...

Do you shine on my someone?

Are we sharing your light?

Oh, one little star...

Shine on us both tonight...

~ _One Little Star_, featured in _"Sesame Street: Follow that Bird"_ by the Children's Television Workshop.

* * *

After calming down from their orgasms, Alfred and Arthur stripped the rest of their soiled clothes off and left them in a pile at some random spot on the floor. They cuddled each other under the starry blanket, which Alfred draped around them both earlier. They felt a bit lazy to go upstairs to the rooms at the moment as they savoured the post-coital bliss in this rare comfortable silence. Arthur was currently resting on top of his larger lover. He savoured the loving kisses delicately peppered on his head, the long arms wrapped around his shoulders protectively and his hands stroking his back tenderly. He gazed down at the blanket covering them, blushing slightly that their bare skin could still be noticed through the star-shaped holes.

Speaking of which, Arthur took the opportunity to closely examine the section covering over his shoulder. He rolled off Alfred onto his front, pulling the fabric closer to the floor.

"Arthur?" Alfred followed suit, his shoulder nudging next to him. He was curious at the deep contemplative look on his lover's face, "What is it?"

Upon closer inspection, the British nation could see the blanket's finer details that he didn't notice before. The fabric looked worn and slightly frayed but still in good condition. The stars looked like they were drawn and cut by a child's hands because the shapes were all cut in various sizes and some of them looked a bit too round or crooked in some areas. He traced his fingers on the outlines, feeling the rubbery texture under his fingertips. Only crayons could leave traces of wax like this...oh...it could mean...

"I'm wondering about this blanket of yours, Alfred...why it's so special to you..."

"Oh?" Alfred's curious expression turned nervous.

"Looking at this, this must be a very old blanket..." Arthur spread a section in front of him on the floor, "Hundreds of years old from the feel and look of it...I'm surprised it's in pristine condition..."

"Uh..." Alfred's eyes widened. His nervousness evolved into mild dread. Arthur couldn't have caught onto his apparent attachment to the blanket already?!

Alfred blushed in humiliation and covered his flushed face in his hands, shaking his head. But if he had looked for a bit longer, he could've caught Arthur gazing at the fabric with a fond look in his eyes. The British nation slowly traced the waxy outlines. The way his fingertips travelled over the stars was caring...almost reverent like he was worshiping a precious treasure.

"Here...and here..." Alfred dared to peek through his fingers, watching Arthur point to each star where the wax stains were most prominent, "These marks look like they were made by the crayons you loved as a child..."

Alfred gulped, 'Man, he has a good memory...I guess it's expected of him to know that...after all, he gave them to me.'

"You were always making little gifts for me when you were small and you always used those crayons to add colour to them..." Arthur mused fondly before turning to Alfred, whose hands were still covering his embarrassed face. The island nation made a disapproving tsk sound and pulled down one of his hands to look at the younger nation sternly, "Lower those hands, Alfred. You look at me when I'm talking to you."

Alfred sighed and lowered his palms. He was pretty apprehensive about it. Whenever he looked into Arthur's eyes, his gaze always compelled him to say his true thoughts...he could never hide from that piercing stare...

"Alfred, did you...make this?" Arthur's gaze turned neutral as he asked curiously.

'I guess the cat is out of the bag...' the superpower nation took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah...I did..."

"Any special reason why you did it?"

'Enough already...oh, but I guess he deserves to know...we are together now and that means no more secrets...' Alfred shrugged, his face heating up, "You see...uh...I was going to give it to you back then because you told me the skies are always cloudy where you lived...but before I could give it to you, I...uh...lost it."

"Oh...I see..."

It was a bit of a white lie but technically he couldn't find it after the Revolutionary War and he hadn't seen it since. He carefully observed his lover's face, half-waiting for the teasing that was to come. Arthur was still looking at the blanket with an unreadable expression before turning to face him. To Alfred's pleasant surprise, a smile of appreciation slowly graced the thin lips and his green eyes looked warm. There was no trace of mocking on his facial features as Alfred expected. The smaller nation leaned in close to cup his cheek and peck his lips. Alfred felt his chest unclench upon the fleeting kiss and all his anxiety over the matter simply vanished.

"Thank you, Alfred," Arthur pulled back to divert his attention back to the blanket.

"Uh...sure..." Alfred looked on in stunned amazement, his heart all a flutter, 'He didn't make fun of me at all...now I feel silly for getting so worked up about it...'

"The stars..." Arthur's face turned pensive as he picked at the material before him, "Come to think of it, there were seasons when I didn't come and see you. And for that, I am really sorry that I couldn't be there for you...you must have been so lonely."

Alfred kissed his cheek in an effort to wipe the apologetic look off the British nation's face, "Hey...come on, that's over and done with, Artie. It's okay..."

"Arthur, you git..." Arthur corrected him before continuing, "Anyway...during those times...I would gaze up at the sky a lot."

"Uh..." Alfred could feel his face heating up again. This time, it was in shame. A new guilt had surfaced to bite his conscience. He thought of the times he blamed Arthur for not coming to him sooner and the fear he felt that the elder nation hadn't thought of him. Now he felt he was the one who wronged his lover, "Is that so?"

"Yes...and it's the strangest thing...even when the clouds in the sky lingered, I saw the shooting stars as clear as crystal...they were such a wondrous sight to see..." Arthur reminisced, recalling the lonely times he stood in his stately home to look up to the sky out of his window while wishing he could be with his beloved colony again, "And I often thought to myself whether you'd be seeing the sky like I did...it was simply..."

"What?"

"Magical...it was so magical..."

'This can't be happening...that stupid box of stars actually worked?...nah...it can't be...can it?' Arthur scratched the back of his head, "So uhm...did you wish on them or something? I mean, did you wish that you could see me or something like that?"

Arthur looked at him with a matter-of-fact face, honesty shining in his eyes and reverberating in his voice when he replied, "Well, yes, Alfred, I did something like that along the lines..."

Alfred found himself taken back by the raw emotion glittering in his lover's eyes, "Uh...you know, you are really laid back about this..."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean...I was really serious here, Alfred," Arthur's face pulled into a slight grim look.

Alfred shook off the remark as he stretched his arms with a Cheshire grin on his face, "Anyway, you know that wishing on stars doesn't work because you never did come to see me, did you?"

'And he's back to his idiotic self...'

"The more important thing is you're here with me now and that's what really matters."

Arthur's heart blossomed at the second comment. In a way, Alfred was right. At this moment now, he felt very content just watching his young lover absorbed in his chuckles and a warm smile wormed onto his face. After all, he was in a good mood. He took in the sight of a happy Alfred who smiled back at him. Arthur reached up to brush some stray sandy blonde locks away from Alfred's face fondly before handing him back his glasses.

'Almost like the old days...'

Then Arthur recalled the first time he saw a shooting star after his previous visit on Alfred's birthday when he was his colony...that was before more followed in sequence every few years or so, giving him hope when he felt lost...that night, he wished for the child nation's happiness even if he couldn't be there for him...

* * *

_Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose to stop an oncoming migraine when he stopped for a short break from sorting the paperwork at his desk, an empty porcelain tea-set next to him drained of Earl Grey tea. These last few days had been extra stressful for the island nation since the matters at hand just couldn't seem to work themselves out despite his best efforts and that his boss had been badgering him with unreasonable requests at no end._

_"As if this bloody idiot doesn't have anything else better to do but to make me deaf and question my sanity when everything around me is pure chaos..." _

_Shaking his head, he decided to head outside his stifling study and get away from the paperwork and the plaguing problems for a while. That always cleared his head and he'd be in a better state of mind to tackle the next heavy workload. He hummed with surprise when he stepped outside and closed the grand oak doors behind him. When did it get so dark? He took out his pocket watch to check the time: 10 o'clock already?!_

_'Nighttime...so late? I guess times flies when you have so much to do...' Arthur ran his hands through his messy hair. His migraine had faded but now his head was throbbing slightly, 'I wonder how the night sky is looking tonight..."_

* * *

_Arthur strolled to one of the large windows lining the lavishly furnished corridor and looked up. He sighed upon seeing the floating masses littering in the dark expanse of the night sky. Cloudy as always. His worn expression turned to one of deep melancholy for his thoughts turned to his beloved Alfred, his sweet little brother who was all alone in his homeland. He imagined how sad and lonely the child nation would be. It broke his heart every time he had to leave him...and the pain in those sky blue orbs was a sight he couldn't erase from his mind..._

_'I'm so sorry for not being with you now, Alfred...' Arthur thought sadly as he continued to gaze at the sky, 'Are you watching the sky like I am now?'_

_But then, something unexpected happened and it caught his breath at the sight of it._

_"Ah! A shooting star!" he gasped, enraptured by the astronomical wonder happening before him, 'If I want to make my desired wish come true...'_

_His green eyes were transfixed on the sparkling spot against the dark cloudy sky. He knew what he wanted to do since discovering it in all its beauty..._

_"As much as I badly want to do what my heart tells me, I can't see him right now...but..."_

_Arthur clasped his hands close to his chest and closed his eyes, envisioning the smiling cherubic face of his little colony running up to him with arms open wide to hug him. He held onto the warmth emanating from the endearing vision._

_'But if you'll grant my wish, shooting star...then please...make Alfred as happy as he can be...'_

_The star in the distance seemed to shine brighter upon the silent plea._

_'I love him so much...so even if it's just a tiny bit...please make all of his wishes and dreams come true...that is all I ask for...'_

_Arthur felt a serene calmness wash over him as soon as he made his wish. And for that moment, he was sure he saw the child nation kneeling on the stool and looking up into the sky through his window with his little wooden soldier at his side..._

_"Please and thank you, shooting star..."_

_When the island nation opened his eyes, the shooting star had disappeared beneath the masses of clouds in the sky and the stress of his work seemed a distant memory. Feeling the day's fatigue finally catching up to him, he decided not to fight the stress anymore and go to bed. The problems and paperwork could wait until morning._

* * *

_Arthur changed into his night clothes and slid underneath the lush duvet and silk sheets on his large king-sized four poster bed. He nestled his head against the pillows and looked at the empty space beside him. Arthur smiled a bit sadly, wishing his precious little brother was here next to him sleeping like a little angel. _

_'Please wait for a little while longer, Alfred...I'll be with you as soon as I can...'_

_Arthur sighed and closed his eyes, allowing the heaviness to lull him to dreamland._

_That night, he dreamt finding Alfred in a meadow of wildflowers and flowing green grass, the sun shining high in its golden beauty against the clear blue sky. He reached out a hand to the child nation whereupon he took it and launched into a hug._

_'Alfred...let's go home...'_

_'Okay, Arthur!'_

_As Arthur continued to dream into the night, a lone tear slid from a closed eyelid..._

_'I can't be with you now because of my duties...'_

_Another teardrop trickled from the other closed eyelid..._

_'But...'_

_A haggard sigh escaped his lips even though they were pulled into a serene smile..._

_'I hope that I will still see you in my dreams...'_

* * *

"Arthur? Arthur?"

Arthur was pulled from his reminiscing when Alfred's deep voice called out to him. He blinked his eyes back into focus, seeing Alfred gazing at him with a concerned loving look.

"You're crying..." Arthur felt Alfred's palm grazing his cheek, his fingers brushing at the corner of his eye.

"Am I?"

Wet drops glistened on Alfred's fingertips, "You alright, Sweetheart?"

The British nation closed his eyes and smiled wryly.

"I'm fine, Alfred. I guess it's because I feel very happy right now..." Arthur parroted the same words as he snuggled close to Alfred, fitting his head to the crook of his neck, 'Your happiness is my happiness...that was all I ever wished for...'

"Really?"

"Yes and don't make me repeat myself, Alfred...those words are already embarrassing enough..." Arthur's face turned red, making his lover chuckle in his hair. Then he felt Alfred getting up and being pulled into his embrace. Arthur sputtered when the young nation suddenly and effortlessly hoisted him to carry him bridal-style while somehow skillfully managing to wrap the blanket loosely around him like a mummy, "What are you doing, idiot?!"

"Going to bed of course, silly!" Alfred said with a roll of his eyes, "I'm not gonna let my precious boyfriend sleep on the hard floor when there's a comfy bed to roll around in."

Arthur smacked the back of his lover's head while the blush on his face bloomed further like a rose.

"Alfred, just deposit me at my room. I'm perfectly fine from there."

"Nope, not a chance! And besides, I wanna show you the new skylight I have in my room," Alfred said as he started up the stairs.

"You have a skylight?"

"Yup, I thought it would be nice to look up at the night sky more comfortably," Alfred was careful to not jostle the lithe nation he was carrying. His handsome face bore a saucy grin and a cocked eyebrow as he nibbled his earlobe, "And maybe...I'll make you see even more stars..."

Arthur made a squeak in the back of his throat at the implication behind Alfred's words while his red face contorted between incredulity and annoyance. But eventually Arthur saw no point in fighting the blossoming warmth in his body and the strong arms carrying him. He leaned in to kiss Alfred's nose supporting the bridge of his glasses.

"Then you'd better keep true to your words, Love..." Arthur smirked with a glint in his eyes, making Alfred lean forward.

"Oh I intend to, Sweetheart..." Alfred whispered against Arthur's lips.

Arthur accepted the tender kiss as Alfred carried him into his bedroom and shut the door with his foot. The superpower nation gently placed his lover on the bed before towering over him. He reached for the smaller hand and entwined their fingers. His free hand hooked on a section of the star blanket, slowly uncovering Arthur's body deliciously. The blanket slid onto the floor in a heap to be momentarily forgotten.

"To the stars?" Alfred asked as he leaned his forehead against Arthur's, kissing the tip of his nose.

Arthur nodded back with a beautiful smile on his face that made Alfred's heart swell to new heights.

"To the stars and beyond, Alfred..."

Alfred chuckled deeply and rubbed noses together in an Eskimo kiss. This time, he was going to take it slow...and see what more lovely sounds he could evoke from Arthur and to thoroughly let his teeth and tongue map out the lithe body in his arms.

"Then you'll be in for a real ride, Sweetheart..."

Alfred settled back in between Arthur's legs and arched the pale body to sensually kiss his lover, which the smaller nation gladly returned. Then the American nation kissed his ear and nibbled his earlobe after digging his nose against the nape of his lover's neck, the possessiveness burning in him upon seeing the fading hickeys littering the alabaster skin. That would be rectified later; no other nation was to ever claim Arthur...the British nation was his! He felt like a selfish brat hogging the best toy of the lot. Arthur trembled in Alfred's arms and a breathy sigh brushed past the powerful nation's ear as Alfred started stroking him below, reigniting the lust and desire in his veins. Alfred's smirk deepened as he licked his lips hungrily...

"Hold on tight..."

Arthur cried out in bliss and dug his head in the pillows as Alfred proceeded to mark and claim his body all over again under the shining stars...

* * *

"Alright...I think I have everything I need for my trip to America tomorrow...now let's see..."

Kiku surveyed the item nestled in the open gift box he was going to give to Arthur. Resting in the white tissue paper was a delicate Japanese Fūrin wind chime. The pink glass dome shone prettily in the room's lights, highlighting the intricate floral patterns painted on the shiny surface. Arthur had been fascinated by the trinket when he was on their outing last summer and had mentioned of thinking to get one for his garden but didn't had the time to when he was suddenly called back for urgent business in his own country. Kiku purchased it after his most recent visit to England but just couldn't find the right time to give it to him since their visits and meetings were usually very few in between.

Satisfied the present was still in good condition, he replaced the lid and carefully packed it into his hand luggage before opening the shogi doors to head outside onto the porch. It was late already but Kiku wasn't feeling tired just yet. His dark eyes lit up and his smile turned soft upon seeing the starry sky.

"Ah...the stars are especially brighter than ever..." he felt a summer breeze dance by him and he was alerted by the sweet tinkling sounds of his own Fūrin wind chime patterned with koi fish that was hanging just above him, "I hope Arthur-san will receive his own winds of luck and fortune with this gift."

Although Kiku knew that Arthur would be thrilled to receive it, he had a strong gut feeling that the island nation wouldn't need the wind chime's so-called charms and magic to change his luck or to make his wishes come true. This particular design was aimed for people who were unlucky in love and it was believed that it could bring in winds of luck to change that. The kanji character for love was brushed in dark ink on the dangling talisman to prove that. The Japanese nation was sure that his request for Arthur to sleepover at Alfred's house would be enough to finally bring their hidden repressed feelings out in the open. Arthur would perhaps feel less lonely and Alfred would be in better spirits.

And speaking about Alfred...

"I think I should go and check up on it to make sure it's still there..."

Kiku got up and dusted his kimono clean before heading to the bamboo forest.

* * *

Alfred embraced the slumbering Arthur in the circle of his arms, his golden head nestled on his shoulder. They had made love under the open skylight while taking the time to fully explore each other's bodies. Alfred had teased the older nation to no end, trying to find the most sensitive spots that would send him into a frenzy. In retaliation, the other nation teased back with a deep raging lust Alfred never knew he possessed...and those deep green eyes filled with dark seduction made Alfred grin. Arthur's sleek flushed body riding his cock with the night starry sky as the backdrop was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. This time, he had kept his glasses on, wanting to memorize every feature of his lover bathed in the moonshine and starlight...and those breathless gasps, whispered moans and keening groans Arthur made...God, he would never tire of hearing them, knowing that those sweet sounds were of his doing...his own symphony of love and passion that would be unique only to his ears.

The island nation promptly fell asleep after the strenous activity, finally giving into his exhaustion and jet-lag while Alfred still remained relatively awake. He was half-listening to the portable radio as he cradled Arthur sweetly. The star blanket was retrieved and draped over the duvet covering them and the atmosphere was calm.

Alfred observed Arthur, running his fingers in feathery caresses over his cheeks. Arthur looked so serene without his scowls and the crease between his thick eyebrows was relaxed and smooth. His lips were slightly parted as he breathed softly and his messy golden hair tickled Alfred's nape of his neck. All in all, Arthur looked...

"So beautiful..." Alfred grinned softly as he brushed his fingers across Arthur's forehead, "You have no idea how beautiful you are to me, Artie..."

Looking up to the sky through the skylight, Alfred's smile turned reflective as a new song came on the radio, soft and gentle like a lullaby...

_"I can finally see it..."_

The magic to make his dreams real did come through for him after all...

_"Now I have to believe..."_

He just didn't realize that it also took hard work and his own strength to make it this far...because a shooting star could only take the wielder half the way...

_"All those precious stories..."_

He recalled the fairytales he heard as a child and felt a pang of regret for ever dismissing them, especially when they were told by Arthur...

_"All the world is made of faith..._

_And trust..._

_And pixie dust..."_

Alfred chuckled at the Peter Pan reference in the lyrics. But then again, it was and still is his favourite story after all these years.

_"So I'll try..._

_'Cause I finally believe..._

_I'll try..._

_'Cause I can see what you see..._

_I'll try..."_

He looked back up to the night sky...and there it was...the shooting star that started it all...

_"I'll try...to fly..."_

"I guess I can't badmouth you now, huh...sorry about what I said last night..." Alfred felt a bit silly apologizing to a moving ball of fiery gas. But he he felt so complete right now that he didn't really care, "And thank you for granting me my wish...even though you delivered it several centuries late."

Alfred watched the star disappear past the skylight, leaving its remaining friends to continue twinkling in the sky.

"Alfred?" Alfred looked down to find Arthur looking up sleepily at him, "Who were you taking to?"

"An old friend...but he's gone away just a moment ago," Arthur gave a confused stare while Alfred kissed his temple before taking off his glasses to place them on the bedside table, "I'm ready to sleep now."

'And he thinks I'm weird when I'm playing with Flying Mint Bunny and the rest of my friends...' Arthur snuggled against Alfred and kissed his shoulder, "Good night, Alfred..."

Alfred made himself more comfortable, nudging his lover close and kissed his forehead. He closed his eyes, keeping an arm secure around Arthur's thin shoulders.

"'Night, Arthur..."

Everything was going to be different starting tomorrow. They were finally together. This was something new and beautiful to treasure and yet it was also a bit scary to think what obstacles and trials would come their way. But this would be a change that would be welcomed by both parties. This was because there were some things that would definitely still stay the same despite their newfound deepened relationship. Arthur would still blow a fuse when Alfred did something to annoy him or to give him a heart attack over one of his crazy stunts. Alfred would still go out of his way to infuriate and tease him over his terrible cooking and 'imaginary friends' and he wouldn't stop challenging Arthur in horror movie marathons in another effort to scare and best him.

And the best part of fulfilling an old dream was that a new one would blossom in its place...and Alfred had a good gut feeling he would be fulfilling them with Arthur by his side.

It was time for another new start...

Except this time...

Alfred wouldn't be alone anymore and was deeply in love...

* * *

Kiku listened to the chirping crickets as he walked among the bamboo trees. Coming to the clearing, he headed to the section where he and Alfred hung their wishing talismans. Then he bypassed them, his dark eyes focused on a lone green talisman swaying lightly among the rustling leaves.

"Oh good, it's still here," Kiku chuckled quietly to himself, "I hope Alfred-san wouldn't mind that I hung it here in secret. But he doesn't need to know."

Up above Kiku, the stars sparkled brightly like diamonds, the only witnesses to the lone scene in the bamboo forest. The Japanese nation savoured the serene night sounds around him while he admired the sparkling sky above him.

'I hope your treasured wish has been granted, Alfred-san...'

A shooting star zoomed by in its sparkling beauty.

Upon seeing it, Kiku smiled.

**The End!**

* * *

**Author's notes: **Yes! Done! The haunting is over, I feel so happy that you guys have given a chance on this newest addition, I had fun reading the doujinshi and making a fiction that would hopefully make **C Wawa** proud of it should they come across it :) Now that I'm done, I think I will tackle the Dynasty Warriors stories I promised to some others and to edit some of my old Harry Potter Drarry fics (I love the Draco/Harry pairing)...but this doesn't mean I won't stop hatching more USUK story ideas...I have an idea for an Omega-verse story (not to be combined with Cardverse...not falling for that, am thinking more on fairies: will that work?)...a wedding fic that I said I would do with some yummy parts...maybe some more AU brotherly stories with big brother, Alfred and little brother, Arthur? But in the meantime, I appreciate all the reviews and constructive criticism you guys pour for this story as well as the others in my archive. Until next time, my dears...keep on reading and writing!


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